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View from atop former silver mine overlooking Potosi, a historical mining city
Cerro Rico de Potosí
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Potosi Tours

Overview

Take a trip to Potosi on your Bolivia vacation.

When on a Bolivia vacation, you can visit one of the highest cities in the world, Potosí, located in southern Bolivia, beneath Cerro de Potosí, a mountain that was once rich in silver helping cement the city’s importance during the New World Spanish Empire.

 Potosí was founded in 1545 as a mining town quickly becoming one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the Americas and the world. Many indigenous people as well as African slaves were used to working the mines facing poor conditions and in many cases, death. By 1672 a mint was built to coin the silver and for many Europeans, Potosí became a mythical city of riches. Early in the 19th century, output began to slow down and tin, then eventually zinc and lead replaced silver preventing Potosí from slipping into obscurity. 

 In 1987, the city was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site serving as a reminder of its rich and tragic history as well as a celebration of its colonial architecture. It is therefore true that a trip to Potosí on a Bolivia vacation is not complete without visiting one of the mines which shows the hardship of life in the mines that exists to this day. The Pailaviri mine is the oldest in the city and has been in continuous production since 1545. Along with the mines are stunning churches, old colonial architecture and a friendly population that makes Potosí a unique place to visit.on Bolivia tours

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LanguagesSpanish
CurrencyBolivian Boliviano (BOB)
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