Pachuca, Mexico: Vacations and travel info

Description

Pachuca is about 60 minutes from Mexico City and is the most important business and cultural center in the country. Due to its proximity to Mexico City, Pachuca allows travelers to combine its tranquility, traditions and natural beauty with the hustle and bustle of the Federal District.

In the past, Pachuca stood out among other cities in central Mexico, because of its rich silver deposits, which caused a massive growth in the mining industry during the colonial period and several years after the struggle for independence. Even today, gorgeous silver handicrafts are displayed in several workshops along its streets and two mines in the city are still working and extracting this precious metal.

Pachuca is also proud of being the birthplace of soccer in Mexico, first played by English miners in 1901 and later adopted by the locals. Today the city features the first soccer university and one of the best professional teams in the country.

Architectural wonders

Those who visit Pachuca find a tranquil city, clean tidy streets and diverse, impressive buildings. The architecture ranges from pre-Hispanic to baroque inspired churches, 19th century neoclassical English style buildings, to avant-garde modern constructions.

One of the most important places in Pachuca is the Monumental Clock, located in the downtown area and manufactured by the same company who built the clock for Big Ben. There's also the Rule House, built in the late 1800s and formerly owned by a wealthy English businessman, now home to the government's offices.

A few examples of the elegant neoclassical style buildings in Pachuca are, Bancomer, the State's General Archive and the Mineralogy Museum. Located in the same area is the National Photography Museum, which used to be the San Francisco Convent and is another exquisite baroque style construction, very common during the colonial period.

Business

Due to its proximity to Mexico City, Pachuca offers a series of excellent options for business meetings and conferences, in a much more relaxed atmosphere, far from the noise and rush hour stress of the Federal District. Pachuca has a brand new area exclusively for business called Zona Plateada (Silver Zone) and is home to a "state of the art" convention center, as well as hotels orientated towards the business traveler.