Heading North from the Colombian capital it is located the small town of Zipaquirá, one of the main cities of the savannah of Bogotá. There are other charming towns around –Guatavita, Villa de Leyva, or Sopó, a place famous for its dairy. Even though Zipaquirá is mainly known for the Salt Cathedral, a splendid work sculpted on the salt rock, the town has its particular charm as well. Because of the beauty of the town and the fame of the church, the site has become an important destination for local and international tourism. 

The Salt Cathedral is an underground Roman Catholic Church built within the tunnels of salt mine 40 meters below the surface. It is considered a great architectural work due to its complex structure, beautiful details and spiritual meaning. The religious meaning is portrayed through the 13 chapels carved out of the salt walls; they represent the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ, and it is known as “El Camino de la Cruz” (the Path of the Cross). Visitors go by them and through a labyrinth with three entrances. After the labyrinth is located the core of the Salt Cathedral, a roughly 75m long by 25m high main room where a magnificent Cross warmly illuminated awaits. A feeling of contemplation permeates the entire place.

In the middle of the room of the Salt Cathedral beautiful details can be easily found for they are the result of hundreds of years of erosion and mining activity. The abstract shapes on the walls and the roof of the tunnels come to live helped by the lights and the humidity that permeate the entire place. The dim ambiance merged with the complete silence of the mountain transforms the Salt Cathedral in what it always has been and will be: a sacred place.

Nevertheless, the Cross is not the only art piece inside the Cathedral. Carlos Rodriguez’s sculpture “La Creación del Hombre” (The Creation of Man, based on The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo) is a beautiful artwork impossible to miss. Illuminated by blue, white, and green lights, it depicts a faceless God touching the hand of a common man (he is not Adam as in Michelangelo´s sculpture). The idea behind this feature, core of the religious perception of the artist, is that all religions are welcome to the sanctuary no matter what is the visitor’s believe. 

The church is part of a larger complex including “Parque de la Sal” (Salt Park). One attraction in the park is the Museo de la Salmuera that gathers the history of the mining activity of the region. Inside there is a great model of the mine and a step-by-step reproduction of the salt production process that is an important source of incomes for the region. Lately, the Park has included an artificial escalating wall, and a complete food court, perfect, because time at the Cathedral flies away.  

            Beyond the salty walls, and after passing by the Eucalyptus trees at the entrance of the Cathedral, Zipaquirá shows why is one of the most visited villages in the region. Downtown is a surprise. Houses have conserved a particular architecture with small balconies and wooden windows pointing to the narrow sidewalks made of stone. The cobblestones street tells the visitor about a time of carriages and horses. The beautiful simplicity of the facades surrounds Zipaquirá’s Church that is located at the end of a park whose wavy floor reminds the sea, at the top of each wave a palm. But that is not all. The charm of Zipaquirá is completed by the delicious typical food, especially “carne asada”, a kind of grilled meat prepared with the local spices.

            There are tours that limit the visit to the Salt Cathedral and overlook the beauty of the town. To find a way of visiting all the attractions in Zipaquirá and its surroundings go to www.hansatours.com. Find out all about this place and much more.