Historic Centre of Zacatecas

A silver strike in 1546 called Zacatecas into being, and two centuries of mining wealth paid for the churches and mansions that now crowd its steep, narrow valley. Presiding over it all is the cathedral, raised between 1730 and 1760, whose exuberant Baroque façades weave European and indigenous motifs into a single design. UNESCO added the historic centre to the World Heritage List in 1993 — come for the architecture, stay for the hillside views.