Things to see and do Asunción

The old Asunción station now houses a small museum on the history of rail transport in Paraguay. Paraguay was one of the first Latin American countries to build a passenger railroad. It was in the ^mid-19th century, during the great works undertaken by President Carlos Antonio López, and later by his son Francisco Solano López. The station was inaugurated in 1861. A train linked Asunción to Trinidad (today's Botanical Gardens), then to Luque, and later to Areguá (1862) and Paraguari (1864), just before the outbreak of the War of the Triple Alliance. Reopened in the 1880s, the train linked Asunción to Villarica in 1886, then to Encarnación from 1913, with a connection to the Argentine rail system leading to Buenos Aires. The train ran until 1999, then between 2004 and 2009 only for tourist purposes, between Trinidad and Areguá. The tourist train may be back in service in the years to come, but nothing is certain... The museum displays a variety of railway-related objects, including a telegraph. You can climb aboard the country's first steam locomotive, imported from England, and walk through the carriages, still in their original condition. It's a quick but interesting visit, with a modest entrance fee. The station building features two neo-Gothic towers and a gallery overlooking the Uruguaya square. Allow around 20 minutes for the visit.

Mercado N° 4 is the capital's most famous market. With its labyrinth of aisles lined with dozens of overloaded wheelbarrow pushers, it stretches over several cuadras between Perú, Peterossi and Dr Francia avenues. A market full of smells and colors. Stalls are grouped by type of product: fruit and vegetables, yuyos, fish, leather goods, telephones, woollen garments (at the "Feria de los Bolivianos"), etc. ¿Adelanteque busca? The film 7 Cajas, shot on location, perfectly captures the atmosphere of this picturesque market.

This is the current presidential palace and seat of government. Built in 1857, it was intended to be the residence of Francisco Solano López, but war broke out and it was bombed by the forces of the Triple Alliance. Restored in 1894, it is Asunción's most imposing architectural work. Neoclassical in inspiration, its construction was directed by English architect Alonso Taylor, while European artists such as painter Julio Mornet worked on the interior decoration. The main façade faces the river.

This vast green space of 25 hectares is located between Asunción and Luque, on the road to the airport. It has 5 km of tracks in good condition, where you can walk, run, cycle; sports fields (football, basketball, volleyball, tennis), as well as two artificial lakes to relax or meditate. Nothing extraordinary, but pleasant, and without security problems. A nice playground for expatriates, to exercise, or to go for a walk with the family. On July 12, 2015, Pope Francis gave Mass here before more than a million faithful.

It was here that Pedro Juan Caballero, Francisco Bogarín, Fulgencio Yegros, Fernando de la Mora and Gaspar Rodríquez de Francia held their secret meetings. At dawn on May 15, 1811, the latter went out through the alley(callejón) at the back of the house, to depose the Spanish governor in his mansion, thus marking the independence of Paraguay. The colonial house (adobe walls, palm roof, patio) dates back to 1772. The museum displays valuable colonial furniture, paintings and objects from the period.

The Museum of Sacred Art is housed in a beautiful early ^20th-century house, Villa Lina. It was founded by Nicolás Darío Latourette Bo, a cultural figure who played an important role in the conservation of the Casa de la Independancia. His private collection, on display here, consists of some one hundred religious sculptures from the ^17th and ^18th centuries, created in the Jesuit and Franciscan missions. These Baroque relics, preserved but not restored (the colors are original), are of great historical value.

This imposing church is one of the largest in the country. It was built in 1893, on one of the seven hills of the capital. All brick, it is of Roman-Corinthian style, similar to that of many European cathedrals. During the Chaco War (1932-1935) it was used as a hospital. Inside there is an organ (rare in Paraguay) and the Museo Papa Francisco, with the armchair, clothes and relics used by Pope Francis during his visit in 2015.

The National Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1909, exhibits some one hundred works by Paraguayan artists (Juan Samudio, Carlos Colombo, Pablo Alborno...) and foreigners (such as the Frenchman Julio Mornet, or the Italians Héctor Da Ponte and Guillermo Da Ré). Most of the paintings and sculptures come from the personal collection of Paraguayan intellectual Juan Silvano Godoy (1850-1926), a post-war free-thinker who acquired them during his 18 long years in exile.

The Touring is a private club dedicated to cars, road safety, rally organization, etc. In the tourism department, some tourist information and a shop where you can get a guide and road maps published by the organization. On the ^3rd floor in the neighbouring building (parking side), a library with some books about the country (in Spanish) and on the 6th floor, an automobile museum exhibits the first cars of the country. Touring manages two hotels, one in Filadelfia (Chaco), the other in Villa Florida (Misiones).

Turista Róga means "House of Tourism" in Guarani. The Senatur (National Tourism Secretariat) has its offices upstairs. On the first floor, there's a tourist information module, with a few brochures. A friendly welcome, but often only in Spanish, and very general information about the country. Ask for a city map or the free Quick Guide magazine, which has neighborhood maps inside. Quality handicrafts and books on Paraguay for sale. Also, on the left as you enter, the information desk of the Asunción City Tour agency.

Guyra means "bird" in Guarani. The Guyra Paraguay association is the most active national NGO for the protection of birds and their habitats. In addition to its research and awareness-raising work, it organizes birdwatching tours, notably in the Reserva Natural Guyra Retä, near Encarnación, and in the Pantanal (Station Biologique Tres Gigantes). Reasonable rates compared with conventional agencies. Especially recommended for birdwatchers. The association's offices are located north of the Botanical Gardens.

This pale pink building with arcades is the first major work of the 19th century (1842-1857), launched by Carlos Antonio López. It was built on the site of the old cabildo. "Cabildo" is a colonialterm that refers to the place where the city's affairs, both administrative and judicial, were dealt with. The Cabildo building has never had this function. It was originally the seat of the executive, until 1894, when it was moved to the Palacio de los López. Ten years later, the Cabildo welcomed the legislative power until 2003, when it was transferred to a new modern building located nearby, nicknamed "the flying saucer". Today, the Cabildo is a cultural centre and museum, with several thematic rooms and permanent or temporary exhibitions. His visit allows him to familiarize himself with the country's history, music (with a special section for the famous guitar composer Agustín Pío Barrios "Mangoré"), cinema, folk and indigenous art, sacred art, immigration and foreign communities living in Paraguay. Many cultural events are organised at the Cabildo: conferences, concerts, film screenings... From the back of the building, you can see the Chacarita district, a slum that is regularly flooded. This is in stark contrast to the institutions in the immediate vicinity, including the Presidential Palace and Congress..

The cathedral was inaugurated in 1845, during Carlos A's regime. López, was built under the direction of the Italian architect Alejandro Ravizza, on the site of the old church. It retains a colonial style, with neoclassical touches. The interior is colourful, especially its wooden ceiling. The baroque altar is covered with silver panels. Classical music concerts are sometimes held in front of the illuminated cathedral. Pope Francis celebrated Vespers on July 11, 2015 in front of a thousand members of the clergy.

The municipal cultural center is made up of nine houses from different eras. The oldest is Casa Viola, built between 1750 and 1758, with adobe walls and a tiled roof. It has preserved the site of the colonial grid, prior to the developments of Dr Francia's era. The Memoria de la Ciudad museum tells the story of Asunción from its foundation to the present day, with old maps, newspaper articles, photographs, paintings and models. The Art Nouveau-style Casa Clarí dates from the early 20th century. Inside, the Miguel Acevedo space (famous Paraguayan caricaturist) is dedicated to the visual arts, with exhibitions of paintings, drawings, photos and sculptures. The neoclassical Casa Clari-Mestre (1912) features an auditorium (dedicated to Ruy Díaz de Guzmán, the first Creole writer) where theater and dance troupes perform. Casa Vertúa (1898), also in neoclassical style, houses the municipal library. Casa Ballario (1901), in neoclassical style, houses an interesting historical museum devoted to Paraguay's emblematic instrument, the harp. Casa Emasa offers an exhibition space (La Galería) with temporary installations. Finally, Casa Castelví (1804), the best-preserved colonial house, has a pleasant patio where various cultural activities are organized. And to recharge your batteries after all that, head to the terrace of the bar-restaurant for a lovely view of the Presidential Palace just opposite.

Behind the port, on one of Asunción's seven hills, this is the capital's oldest district. The lanes of the loma (hill) underwent quite a metamorphosis in 2012. Houses and small staircases were repainted in bright colors, bohemian cafés were set up... but the fever didn't last very long, and "SanGer" was gradually abandoned by visitors. Nonetheless, the area retains a pleasant village feel and offers beautiful views of the bay and historic center.

The area around the Bay of Asunción has been developed to relieve traffic congestion and provide a diversionary space for the inhabitants. Since 2013, an artificial sandy beach and areas for walking, running, rollerblading and cycling have been available. Kayak and pedal boat rentals and tours on small boats. Pleasant at sunset. La Costanera is illuminated at night and safe, but avoid it late in the week (shantytowns nearby). Unfortunately we can't swim due to pollution, too bad. Nice view on the Palacio de López.

This museum is a space for reflection and remembrance, a tribute to the victims of General Stroessner's dictatorship (1954-1989). It was created on the initiative of the Celestina Pérez de Almada Foundation, ten years after the discovery of the "Archives of Terror", in December 1992, in a police station in Lambaré, by judge José Agustín Fernández and lawyer and human rights defender Martín Almada. These archives contain the names of over 400,000 people imprisoned by the secret services of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, as part of Operation Condor set up by the United States. The foundation is named after Martín Almada's wife, who died in 1974 as a result of the psychological torture inflicted by the political police while her husband was in prison. The museum is housed in the building of the former Dirección Nacional de Asuntos Técnicos ("La Técnica"), which concealed a detention center, where for over 30 years thousands of people suspected of being "subversive" or "communist" were tortured... in fact, anyone suspected of having progressive thoughts or behavior. Photographs of the disappeared, cells (9 m² for 10 people) and instruments of torture, each more horrifying than the last, such as the picana, an electric needle, or the pileta, the bathtub in which the victim, bound with barbed wire, was held until asphyxiated... A 40-minute documentary, Informe final, is available on request.

The Plaza de los Disaparecidos, next to the presidential palace, pays tribute to those who died during the long dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner (1954-1989). It features a sculpture by Carlos Colombino, depicting Stroessner crushed between two concrete blocks. The general's effigy originally stood at Cerro Lambaré. It had been erected in the 1980s, during the dictatorship. Colombino cut it out and transformed it, so that the era would never be forgotten.

The National Pantheon was originally a chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Asunción. Inspired by the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris, construction began in 1863 under the direction of architect Alissandro Ravizza. It was not completed until 1936, after the Chaco War. Inside the mausoleum lie the remains of the great men of Paraguayan history, the unknown soldier and the child martyrs of Acosta Ñu. An important celebration is held here on March¹ (Heroes' Day). It's worth noting that the Pantheon is ground zero for Paraguay's various roads.

This vast cemetery is a landmark of Asunción. You can immerse yourself in the country's history as you wander between the tombs and mausoleums of illustrious figures (presidents, musicians, writers...). The cemetery was built in 1842, on the site of a former convent of the Franciscan Recollects, who had to abandon the site when Dr Francia suppressed the religious orders. Famous graves include that of "Madame Lynch's" daughter.