5 Best Sights in Southern Bolivia, Bolivia

The showpiece of Potosí is the Royal Mint, built in 1773 at a cost of $10 million USD. This massive stone structure, where coins were once minted with silver from nearby Cerro Rico, takes up an entire city block. It now holds Bolivia's largest and most important museum. On display are huge wooden presses that fashioned the strips of silver from which the coins were pressed, as well as an extensive collection of the coins minted here until 1953. There's also an exhibit of paintings, including works by Bolivia's celebrated 20th-century artist, Cecilio Guzmán de Rojas. A guard accompanies all tours to unlock each room as it's visited. The building is cool, so bring along a sweater. To see everything will take about three hours. There is an extra charge for photography or video.

Five thousand tunnels crisscross Cerro Rico, the "Rich Hill," which filled Spain's coffers until the silver reserves were exhausted in the early 19th century. Today tin is the primary extract, though on the barren mountainside you still see miners sifting through the remnants of ancient excavations. The tours these days are barely concealed misery tourism with little real benefit going to the miners still working in the mine. Most tours seem to cater to backpackers who want to get a thrill blowing up a stick of dynamite. If you must go, and don't mind tight spaces, choose your tour carefully, the safety standards in this swiss-cheesed hill are not particularly high. The Real Deal is run by ex-miners who do a good job. Hard hats, raincoats, boots, and carbide lamps are provided, but take along a flashlight to get a better look at things. The extremely narrow entrance to the mine may scare you off, but go in far enough to give El Tío (a statue of a small, grinning devil) a cigarette and add more coca leaves to the pile around his feet. The miners say he brings safety and prosperity. Keep in mind that these mines are muddy; wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty.

The Convent and Museum of St. Theresa displays a strange mix of religious artifacts. In one room there are sharp iron instruments once used to inflict pain on penitent nuns, as well as a blouse embroidered with wire mesh and prongs meant to prick the flesh. Other rooms contain works by renowned colonial painters, including Melchor Pérez Holguín. There is an extra charge for photography or video.

Potosí's most spectacular church, built between 1728 and 1744, has some of the finest examples of baroque carving in South America. Elaborate combinations of mythical figures and indigenous designs are carved in high relief on the stone facade. If the front doors are locked, try to get in through the courtyard.

A magnificent building constructed of granite during the 16th century, this was Potosí's first church. It has a brick dome and beautiful arches. On the main altar is the statue of the "Lord of the Veracrúz," the patron of Potosí. It also has many beautiful paintings. A panoramic view of the city can be enjoyed from a viewing platform. Tours last one hour and are offered four times daily.