{"id":8116,"date":"2023-09-13T12:36:20","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T10:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/travelsloth.de\/cusco-peru\/"},"modified":"2024-01-11T15:42:10","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T14:42:10","slug":"cusco-peru","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelsloth.de\/en\/cusco-peru\/","title":{"rendered":"Cusco – Peru’s cultural capital"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cusco is Peru’s Everybody’s Darling – it is the starting point for Peru’s most legendary sight – Machu Picchu. But not only that, Cusco and its surroundings have so much more to offer. We were fascinated that despite the flood of tourists, the city still manages to maintain its characteristic and cozy charm. In addition to the fancy toursite restaurants, small local eateries also hold their own in the centrun. Whether a visit to the market, the adventurous Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley or simply strolling through the old town – Cusco and its surroundings have something to offer for everyone. The city has a population of 430,000 and is located in the southern center of the country, in the middle of the Andes at 3,400 meters above sea level. In our guide we mainly address backpackers who are interested in getting to know the real Cusco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Brief history of Cusco<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since neither of us are historians, we have tried to briefly summarize the most important facts about Cusco’s past to give you a brief overview of why Cusco looks the way it does today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The city was founded by the Incas more than 1,000 years ago and quickly became their capital. The Incas left an impressive legacy, including architectural masterpieces such as Machu Picchu and Sacsayhuam\u00e1n. In the 16th century, the Spanish conquistadors under Francisco Pizarro entered Cusco, bringing with them dramatic changes. Numerous Inca temples were replaced by imposing churches and colonial buildings. This unique fusion of Inca and Spanish culture continues to shape Cusco today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Peru’s independence in 1821, a new era began. Cusco remained a cultural center and was eventually named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top sights Cusco<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cusco is full of sights, both in the city itself and in the surrounding countryside. We spent a total of 10-12 days in the area, as we also made the five-day Salkantay trek to Machu Piccu and spent 2 days in the Sacred Valley. Cusco itself is super nice to just unwind a bit – for us it came at just the right time after 8 months of continuous travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Sacred Valley<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We went on a two-day tour of the Sacred Valley on our own and by public transportation. We walked through sleepy villages, looked at ruins and a salt mine. The good thing about our tour was that we were not exclusively in the tourist bubble but could also get to know different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n