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Photo: Fernando Flores, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A long avenue with fine examples of architecture, numerous banks and offices, and spectacular monuments. Modeled after the great boulevards of Europe, it was to link the National Palace with the imperial residence, Chapultepec Castle. It is now lined with luxury restaurants and hotels, office buildings and public art exhibitions.
Paseo de la Reforma is a wide avenue that runs diagonally across the heart of Mexico City. It was designed at the behest of Emperor Maximilian by Ferdinand von Rosenzweig during the era of the Second Mexican Empire and modeled after the great boulevards of Europe, such as the Ringstraße in Vienna and the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The planned grand avenue was to link the National Palace with the imperial residence, Chapultepec Castle, which was then on the southwestern edge of town. The project was originally named Paseo de la Emperatriz in honor of Maximilian's consort Empress Carlota. After the fall of the Empire and Maximilian's subsequent execution, the Restored Republic renamed the Paseo in honor of the La Reforma.
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Are you familiar with the sport of jai alai? It's sometimes called the fastest sport in the world, and it does look fast (and hard). It's a traditional handball game from the Basque region of Spain. A "fronton" is a place where jai alai is played, and it's an unusual game that's worth seeking out for the experience. If you're not into sports as cultural experiences, then you might come here for a concert, or to sample the Spanish cuisine and innovative cocktails at the Zesta Punta restaurant, housed in the Fronton.
Unveiled in 1938, this striking monument honors the heroes of the Mexican Revolution, including Pancho Villa, Francisco Madero, and Lázaro Cárdenas, whose tombs are housed within. Originally intended as a legislative chamber, construction was halted by the Revolution itself and later repurposed as a symbol of Mexican independence and resilience. Visitors can take a glass elevator to the 65m-high Paseo Linternilla, a lookout platform with a spiral staircase offering panoramic city views (not suitable for young children). A 360-degree observation deck is accessible without an all-access pass.
Wax Museum
Fun wax museum full of historical figures and pop culture icons, both Mexican and international.
Chocolate Museum
Explore the world of chocolate, from growing the beans through tasting candies or hot chocolate. A favorite of kids!
Monument to Cuauhtémoc
Bust of Cuauhtémoc, the Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan from 1520 to 1521 is displayed proudly.
Museo de la Bolsa Mexicana de Valores
Mexico's stock exchange, like its peers in other countries, is mostly electronic today, so the trading floor is mostly quiet and sparsely populated, but visiting Mexico's home of the Bolsa is a must for anyone interested in the wheeling and dealing of big business. The view inside is remarkable with walls of screens flashing stock prices and trading activity while looking straight up gives you a spectacular vista of the inside of the exchange's iconic glass dome. The museum has a number of exhibits describing the stock exchange's history and changes over time.