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Medellín · History

From the village of La Candelaria to the railway city

This route follows the city as it grows: from the thatched chapel at Aná to the palaces of the Belgian Agustín Goovaerts, from the Guayaquil market to the railway station that linked Medellín to the world. It ends in San Antonio Park, where the city chose to remember its victims rather than erase the wound. Walk it by day: downtown is intense, and it is best not to linger after dark.

  • 6 stops
  • 2 km
  • 1 h 45 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Old photograph of Medellín's main square lined with balconied houses

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Basilica of Our Lady of La CandelariaThe church that gave the town its name: Medellín began here, long before it was a city.
  2. 2 Rafael Uribe Uribe Palace of CultureA Gothic palace in light and dark stripes that was never finished: only part of the plan was ever built.
  3. 3 National PalacePost office, courts and barracks in a 1920s concrete palace that is now a shopping centre.
  4. 4 Cisneros Square and the Vásquez and Carré buildingsThe old heart of Guayaquil, the market and railway district, turned into a forest of light poles.
  5. 5 Old Medellín Station of the Antioquia RailwayThe station that, after forty years of works, pulled Medellín out of its isolation among the mountains.
  6. 6 San Antonio Park and Botero's birdsTwo bronze birds, one shattered and one whole: the way Medellín chose to remember its dead.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

From the village of La Candelaria to the railway city

The founding, on the spot

You start where the town was formally created in 1675, in front of the city's first parish church.

1920s architecture

Two palaces by Goovaerts and Carré's twin buildings tell the ambition of a city that was industrialising fast.

Memory, not morbidity

The last stop remembers the 1995 bombing through its victims and the decision not to forget.

Keep exploring

More routes in Medellín

Back to Medellín
Mysteries & legendsMedellín of lost souls, hidden streams and ghosts MixedDowntown Medellín highlights: from Botero to Junín

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Medellín?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Medellín in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Medellín in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Medellín in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary