Pedro de la Gasca, to whom the Spanish King had entrusted rule over the former Inca lands, commanded Captain Alonso de Mendoza to found a new city commemorating the end of the civil wars in Peru. Then the city of La Paz was founded on October 20th, 1548 under the name of La Ciudad de Nuestra Señora de La Paz (The City of Our Lady of Peace). The city was first established in what today is Laja, on the Tiahuanaco road. Shortly after its founding, La Paz was moved to its present location, in the valley of the Chuquiago Marka. On 1549, Juan Gutierrez Paniagua was commanded to design and urban plan that will designate sites for public areas, plazas, and official buildings. La Plaza de los Españoles, what today constitutes the Plaza Murillo, was chosen as the location for government buildings as well as the cathedral.

Spain controlled La Paz with a firm grip and the Spanish king had the last word in all matters political. In 1781, for a total of six months, a group of Aymara people laid siege to the no longer peaceful city of La Paz. Under the leadership of Tupac Katari, they destroyed churches and government property. Thirty years later Indians laid a two-month siege on La Paz. In 1809 the struggle for independence from the Spanish rule brought uprisings against the royalist forces.

La Paz, the highest capital city in the world, looks like a moon crater. The city is 4km (2mi) above sea level, situated on a canyon floor which shows only a hint of greenery. Even oxygen is at a premium. Fortunately, the life and color of La Paz is found in its people and culture, not its landscape. Find a good vantagepoint and simply watch the passing throng: women wearing bowler hats (worn on the side if they're single and on top if they're married) and voluminous skirts; white-shirted businessmen and politicians; machine-gun toting military; and beggars asleep under awnings, wrapped up like sarcophagi.

Presidential Palace: Also known as the Palacio Quemado (Burnt Palace) due to repeating fire episodes the building endured in the past. The Cathedral: Built in 1835, the cathedral is an impressive building worth seeing. It is located in the Plaza Murillo next to the Presidential Palace.

Churches: San Francisco, Santo Domingo

Pedro Domingo Murillo Mansion : Once the house of Pedro Domingo Murillo, martyr of the independence revolution of 1809 (hanged in the plaza that now bores his name) the house displays a collection of furniture, textiles, and art from colonial times.

Museo Costumbrista: Displays amazing ceramic dolls wearing traditional customs that show how was life in the early 1800's. Also displays are photos of old La Paz.

National Archaeological Museum: Depicts a collection of artifacts of the Tiahuanacu culture.                 

Littoral Museum: Displays objects from the 1879 war in which Bolivia lost its seacoast to Chile.

Gold Museum: Depicts pre-Conquest works made of gold, silver and copper.

Ethnological and Folklore Museum: This house built in the late 1700's exhibit customs and art of two ethnic groups. The Chipayas and Ayoreos.

Natural History Museum: Exhibits on Bolivia's paleontology, geology, zoology, and botany.

National Art Museum: Located in Calle Comercio, this former palace built in 1775, houses works by Melchor Pérez del Holguín and Marina Nuñez del Prado, among others.

Witches' Market: Merchandise sold here include herbs, remedies as well as other ingredients used in Aymara traditions.

Moon Valley: Located at about 10 Km from the city center, this eroded hillside maze of canyons and pinnacles creates a wonderful view.

Tiahuanaco: these ruins, built over 1,000 years ago by the Tiahuanacu people, are one of the most exciting places to visit.

Chacaltaya Ski Resort: The highest ski resort in the world, only 35 km/22 miles from La Paz and at 5,350-m/17,540 ft.  A wonderful view seeing thousands of square miles of Andean Highlands, part of Titicaca Lake and the beautiful Royal Andes Range.  You'll see the mountains of Illimani (6,438 m/21,109 ft), Mururata (5,820 m/19,082 ft), Huayna Potosi (6,088 m/19,960 ft) and Sajama (6,542 m/21,450 ft) the highest peak of Bolivia in the Occidental Andes Range.  The best snow for skiing is found from September through May.  During Bolivia's winter or coldest months (June - August), there is very little snowfall and therefore hard packed snow and ice.

Titikaka Lake: The highest lake in the world offers a wonderful view of magical surroundings and enchanted waters.

Copacabana: Site of the Virgen of Copacabana, this town located on the shores of the Titikaka lake, attracts hundreds of pilgrims each year for the Virgin's festivities.