Valparaiso (Santiago de Chile) / Chile

Valparaíso is called Paradise Valley and is a city in Chile with about 278,000 inhabitants whose port is one of the most important in South America. The military coup, which took place in Chile in 1973, started in the port of Valparaíso. Since the end of the Pinochet era, the city has been the seat of the Chilean Congress.
Valparaíso fully justifies its named: the city is characterized by a Mediterranean climate and is located on a picturesque bay, open to the north, of the Pacific Ocean. The city is also considered cultural capital of the country. The newspaper El Mercurio de Valparaíso is the oldest still existing Spanish-language newspaper in South America.

In the town dominated by hills, there are numerous buildings in the colonial style that make a walk through the city worthwhile. The historic city center was declared a UNESCO world cultural heritage in 2003. In the old quarter of Cerro Alegre, which is a popular place for artists and students there are many quaint pubs. Fascinating are the countless staircases of Valparaíso and the Ascensores, lifts scattered all over the city. The character of the city is world-famous and has been immortalized in numerous artistic interpretations. Remarkable is also the lake and sea museum. Not far from the city is the fashionable holiday resort Viña del Mar.