How to get there
From Mexico City by rail about 5 hours; by bus approximately 2.5 hours; by car 225km/140mi on the MEX 57D.
Querétaro, the capital of the state of the same name, lies surrounded by rounded mountain tops in a valley in the Mexican highlands at the foot of the Cerro de las Campanas
("Hill of the Bells").
The town is known for its attractive houses, churches and squares dating from the Colonial period, and for its well-tended parks and fountains. Although industry has recently settled in the surrounding area, the town centre has managed to preserve much of its tranquil character. In 1996 the town's monuments were granted world cultural heritage status by UNESCO.
History The town was founded by the Otomí Indians long before Mexico was discovered. In the mid-15th c. it was taken by the Aztecs.
The Spanish brought the area under their control between 1531 and 1570. They used it as their supply centre for the rich mines in Guanajuata and Zacatecas. In 1699 Querétaro was awarded civic status. Later Querétaro became historically significant above all other Mexican towns. This was where, in 1810, the conspiracy around Father Hidalgo began, which led to the War of Independence and ultimately to the independence of Mexico from Spain. In 1848 the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the war between the United States and Mexico, was signed in Querétaro. The last encounter between the troops of President Benito Juárez and those of the Habsburg Emperor Maximilian of Mexico was fought here in 1867. After Maximilian and his two generals Miramón and Mejía were captured and convicted they were shot on July 19th 1867 on the Cerro de las Campanas.
Mexico's present constitution was drafted in Querétaro in 1917.
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