Hey guys! Today I would like to introduce you to a Mexican city that still seems relatively untouched by international tourism and that totally surprised me. Actually, it was never my plan to visit Durango. Originally, my girlfriend and I wanted to go to Mazatlan to see the total solar eclipse of April 8th. However, as the flight prices around this date were pretty crazy, we decided to take the much cheaper flight to Durango, which is only a 4-hour bus ride away from Mazatlan. In the end, Durango was the real highlight of our trip, apart from the eclipse.
Hallo Leute! Heute möchte ich euch eine mexikanische Stadt vorstellen, die vom internationalen Tourismus noch relativ unberührt scheint und mich total überrascht hat. Eigentlich war es nie mein Plan, Durango zu besuchen. Ursprünglich wollten meine Freundin und ich nach Mazatlan, um dort die totale Sonnenfinsternis vom 08. April zu sehen. Da die Flugpreise rund um dieses Datum aber ziemlich verrückt waren, entschieden wir uns für den wesentlich günstigen Flug nach Durango, das nur eine 4-stündige Busfahrt von Mazatlan entfernt liegt. Im Endeffekt war Durango neben der Sonnenfinsternis aber das wirkliche Highlight unserer Reise.
Durango is the capital of the state of the same name in the northwest of Mexico. The charming city impresses with its rich culture, historic architecture and breathtaking landscapes. As one of the oldest cities in the country, Durango is home to a wealth of cultural treasures, including magnificent churches, colonial buildings and picturesque plazas that bear witness to the region's rich history. The old town is even a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Durango is not only a place of historical significance, but also a lively center for art, music and gastronomy. We felt very much at home from the very first minute.
Durango ist die Hauptstadt des gleichnamigen Bundesstaates im Nordwesten Mexikos. Die charmante Stadt besticht durch ihre reiche Kultur, historische Architektur und atemberaubende Landschaften. Als eine der ältesten Städte des Landes beherbergt Durango eine Fülle an kulturellen Schätzen, darunter prächtige Kirchen, koloniale Gebäude und malerische Plätze, die von der reichen Geschichte der Region zeugen. Die Altstadt gehört sogar zum UNESCO Weltkulturerbe. Durango ist nicht nur ein Ort von historischer Bedeutung, sondern auch ein lebendiges Zentrum für Kunst, Musik und Gastronomie. Wir fühlten uns ab der ersten Minute sehr wohl.
Victoria de Durango is the full name of the city, which is also known in Mexico as the Wild West metropolis. Many western movies, some of them very famous, were filmed in the immediate vicinity. This can also be seen in the many stores, restaurants and bars that exude this Wild West atmosphere. Almost half a million people live in Durango, but international tourists are few and far between. This is why the price level is still incredibly low. Even for the city's most beautiful museums, you hardly pay more than the equivalent of €2 admission.
Victoria de Durango lautet der vollständige Name der Stadt, die in Mexiko auch als Wild-West-Metropole bekannt ist. In der unmittelbaren Umgebung wurden viele, teils sehr berühmte Western-Filme gedreht. Dies merkt man auch an vielen Shops, Restaurants und Bars, die diese Wild-West-Atmosphäre versprühen. Knapp eine halbe Million Menschen leben in Durango, doch internationale Touristen findet man eher wenige. Deshalb ist auch das Preisniveau noch unglaublich niedrig. Sogar für die schönsten Museen der Stadt bezahlt man kaum mehr als umgerechnet 2€ Eintritt.
After a short walk through the center, you immediately know which animal symbolizes the city. It is the scorpion. Here you can even eat tacos with scorpions and find some really quirky souvenirs. Even sweets are combined with real scorpions here. We let this supposed culinary highlight pass us by and opted for key rings and cappies.
Nach einem kurzen Spaziergang durch das Zentrum, weiß man sofort, welches Tier die Stadt symbolisiert. Es ist der Skorpion. Hier kann man sogar Tacos mit Skorpionen essen und man findet wirklich skurrile Souvenirs. Auch Süßigkeiten werden hier mit echten Skorpionen kombiniert. Wir ließen dieses vermeintliche kulinarische Highlight an uns vorübergehen und entschieden uns für Schlüsselanhänger und Cappys.
The cable car ride up a hill in the city center was a particularly nice experience. Here, too, we noticed the low price level and only paid 60 pesos per person for the return journey. We were fascinated by the fantastic view when we arrived at the top at around the start of the golden hour.
Ein besonders schönes Erlebnis war die Fahrt mit der Seilbahn auf einen Hügel im Stadtzentrum. Auch hier merkten wir das niedrige Preisniveau und bezahlten nur 60 Pesos pro Person für die Hin- und Rückfahrt. Wir waren fasziniert von der traumhaften Aussicht, als wir ungefähr zur Beginn der goldenen Stunde am Gipfel ankamen.
Durango surprised and delighted us right from the start. We felt very safe in this well-kept and beautiful city. Durango is a real hidden gem and this is also due to another attraction, which I will tell you about in detail in the next post.
Durango hat uns von Anfang an überrascht und begeistert. Wir fühlten uns sehr sicher in dieser gepflegten und wunderschönen Stadt. Durango ist ein wirklicher Geheimtipp und das liegt auch an einer weiteren Attraktion, von der ich euch im Detail im nächsten Beitrag erzählen werde.
See you soon!/Bis bald!
Stefan
What a fun place to visit! I lived in Mexico years ago and never made it to Durango. Looks like I should have added it to my must see list. The scorpion souvenirs and candies are just too funny. That does feel so Mexican to me! I like the cable car! That looks like a lot of fun!!
Yes, Durango is not so well known and popular, compared to other Mexican cities of this beauty, but I hope that more people can explore this amazing place in the future. If you have the chance, you should definitely go 😊
Maybe someday we'll be able to make our way back to Mexico. If so, I'll definitely make sure we check it out!
I admit I laugh at first when I see the post because in my ignorance I associate Durango to s kind of spicy chicken wings selled in Italy, are named Durango and I often ask to my husband to buy them but I never expected a city name durango existed ( my geographical knowledge its really bad) by the way looks really a nice place and so cute the scorpion souvenirs. 😍
Haha, that's funny! But if you would have asked me about two months ago, what Durango is, maybe I would have given a similar answer 😅
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Greetings from here. Durango seems to be a beautiful city. I have some Mexican friends and they really love their country and traditions. I found the candies containing scorpions very interesting hahaha definitely something unusual. I liked your review and the pictures are very clear about what the place looks like. Best regards.
Thank you so much and many greetings back! I'm happy to hear that you liked the post 😊
It seems Durango is a scorpion?
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