Mexico City !! Top 10 Things to see and do when you are there! NR. 1-5

The first city I have arrived in Mexico 6 years ago! Mexico is a huge city with almost 25 million inhabitants. 

If somebody is asking me about it I usually say: It has a lot of culture - museums,  good food - excelente cuisine /restaurants & bars, markets - wonderful handcraft and education - best universities of the country  to offer. 

It is actually the biggest Spanish speaking city on the world and the oldest one at the American continent.

The city is surrounded by volcanos (the most popular ones are Popocatépetl & Iztaccíhuatl) and mountains and is located at an altitud of ca. 2200 meters over the sea level. 

on the left: Iztaccíhuatls
on the right: Popocatépetl

Before the Spanish conquered Mexico, this place was actually the location of Tenochtitlán - the Aztecs capital.. build on the lake Texcoco. The Spanish destroyed it and filled up the lake more and more... building their own city above.

So this city is pretty interesting and has a lot to offer! For me it was the first culture shock ever arriving there, all by myself - sweet 19 years old in 2011 :D 

I love it!!! So much things to do and see!!!

#1 Teotihuacán (Nahuatl = place where men convert into gods)

This city was build ca. 100 AD. and was the most important city in meso America until 600AD. It had a lot of influence  and was the biggest city ,with up to 200 000 inhabitants, of latin america or even the world at this time. After 650AD. people would left the city... we still don´t know why - But the Aztecs found it empty.
It is pretty big with about 20 square kilometers.

Entering the place you will walk along the "street of the deads" next to the entrance of this street you find another temple "ciudadela" which was  used as a kind of Palast. You walk the street until you get to the two big pyramids = "sun & moon- pyramid". 

The sun pyramid is located in the city center and the 3rd biggest pyramid on earth (222 x 225 m +65m high). It was build first. After that moon pyramid was build (120 x 150 m + 46 m high).

Both where used for religious reasons and are still important to Aztecs. The day we went they had some kind of ceremony going on.

#2 Tenochtitlán

As I already mentioned: Mexico City is build on the previous Aztec capital Tenochtitlán. So most of this archeological sight is destroyed or would be found right under the city. But there is a official part of the city, that they found constructing the Subway, that they turned into a museum in the city center. There you get showed how the city used to be and what it´s history is. 

The legend about how Tenochtitlán was build is actually the story of how Mexico got the eagle on their flag. Some priests told their governor Tenóch to build their next city right where they see an eagle fighting with a snake sitting on a cactus. They found that place right at one of the islands of lake Texcoco and started to build the city around 1320.

#3 Chapultepec Park

Chapultepec (Nahuatl) = Chapulín (Spanish) = Grasshopper 

This park is about 678 ha big. It is a must for every tourist coming to Mexico City! 

Here is where you can find the only castle of Mexico!  - Castillo Chapultepec right on top of the Cerro del Chapulín, three artificial lakes, lots of important monuments, culture sights, fountains, sport areas and even a zoo!

#4 Biking on Reforma

El Paseo de la Reforma is the most important avenue in the city! Lots of historical important things happened right here because it is right in the city center. It is still a frequent  used place for manifestations, celebrations, concerts etc. The street is 14.7km long and you will pass a lot of important monuments such as the Independence Angel, Latin America Tower etc.

It starts at Cuajimalpa Zone and Santa Fe, pases las Lomas de Chapultepec, Polanco and Chapultepec Park towards the city center until it gets to Zona Rosa, Colonia Juárez, Historical Center and the north.

Every Sunday the government would close parts of this street so the citizens can bike and skate on it! Bikes are free to rent (in exchange for your ID). It is a great way to get around! - They offer it in every big city to reduce overweight in Mexico.

#5 National Museum of Anthropology

Also a must! This museum is the largest and most visited museum in Mexico!... you can literally spend several days there so see all of it. Here you will find significant archaeological and anthropological things like the Aztec calender, statues of mayan gods and masks. 

Olmec colossal head

Statue of Xiuhcoatl

Aztec Sunstone (Calender)

Statue of Aztec goddess Coatlicue