Buenos Aires City Guide
- Official name: Buenos Aires
- Language: Spanish
- Religion: Roman Catholic
- Currency: The Argentine peso (ARS), and the symbol used locally for it is $. It is divided into 100 centavos.
Buenos Aires Sights and Museums
- The Catedral Metropolitana. Has stood in the same location since colonial times, This 1827 cathedral, a mixture of several architectural styles, houses the remains of Argentine Liberator General Jose de San Martin in a marble mausoleum.
- Avenida de Mayo. It links the Casa Rosada with Congress building. On this avenue there are several buildings of cultural, architectural and historical importance, such as Casa de la Cultura, the Palacio Barolo and Café Tortoni. The first subte (metro) line in South America is here (opened in 1913). - Old city council building (1894 to 1931), situated in Manzana de las Luces. This area has hidden tunnels, which crossed the city during colonial times.
- Museo Histórico Nacional (National History Museum) situated on Parque Lezama. You can find the Museo Penitenciario "Antonio Ballve" and Church of Nuestra Señora de Bethlem in this area.
- Barrio of Recoleta is where the remains of Eva Duarte de Perón can be found. You can find the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the Biblioteca Nacional, the Basílica Nuestra Señora de Pilar, the Palais de Glace, the Bar La Biela and the Cementerio de la Recoleta,
- Barrio of Palermo. The Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, Bosques de Palermo, the Planetary and Buenos Aires Zoo are located in this neighbourhood.
Buenos Aires Entertainment
- Argentine Crafts & Traditions Fair (January). Each Sunday and on bank holidays, the Argentine Crafts & Traditions Fair brings country fare to the city, with free dance, music and craft workshops
- Buenos Aires Tango Festival (February). In late February and early March more than 150 performers gather to give nearly 100 free shows and concerts at this festival also featuring finals of the Metropolitan Ballroom Tango Championship.
- Buenos Aires Book Festival (April). The Buenos Aires Book Festival, stretching over three weeks, draws more than a million book lovers to the La Rural Exhibition Complex.
- July: FIA World Rally Championship. The Argentine leg of the World Rally Championship, with some of the roughest terrain on the circuit, attracts more than a million spectators each year.
- Snow Carnival (August). August brings an exodus from the city to prime Argentine ski resorts, and one highlight of the new season is Snow Carnival, with torch lit ski parades, ski-jumping and other contests, plus coronation of the snow queen.
- International Guitar Festival (October). Since 1995, the IGT has attracted artists worldwide specializing in different genres performing free for the public.
Buenos Aires Transports
The Buenos Aires international airport, Ministro Pistarini International Airport , is located in the suburb of Ezeiza and is often called simply "Ezeiza". The Aeroparque Jorge Newbery airport, within city limits near the river, serves mostly domestic traffic.
A majority of residents in Buenos Aires and its suburbs use public transportation. A Buenos Aires invention is the "colectivo", popularly known as the "bondi", a small bus built out of a truck chassis and seating 21 to 27. Numerous colectivos and larger public buses traverse the city each hour providing access to virtually all neighborhoods.
The Buenos Aires Metro (locally known as el subte, from "subterráneo" meaning "underground") is an extensive system providing access to various parts of the city. Opened in 1913, it is the oldest subway system in the Southern Hemisphere and in the Spanish-speaking world. The system has five lines, A to E, 80 stations, and 46 km of track. Under an expansion program, it is expected to expand to 89 km by 2011.
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