ABOUT THE AUTHOR
IMPULSE TRAVEL TEAM
We are a team of storytellers here to bring you the best Colombia has to offer. On our blog, we answer your most frequent questions and uncover our countries mysteries, culture, and highlights for you.
Bogota, Colombia’s Capital, a diverse and multicultural city with people from all over the world. Modern buildings complement old ones that recall the colonial past and thanks to the parks and the mountain range in the east with the holy places Monserrate and Guadalupe, the city is green.
This place offers history, entertainment, gastronomy, culture and much more, so perfect to spend a few days and enjoy the Latin vibes.
But not only to say you how cool Bogota is, in this blog post we have underlined the attractions with visual material from successful music videos.
1. Klangkarusell - Good to Go
In the music video of Klangkarussell, which with its black and white filter offers a stylish presentation of the two cities Medellin and Bogota, attention is paid to street art and graffiti. Bogota is considered, contrary to the widespread information, as THE city in Colombia of street art and not as often assumed Medellin. It doesn’t matter if you pass by schools, have a walk through the old town or in residential areas, you will find real jewelleries almost everywhere. It’s also possible to join a guided Street Art Tour, that offers even more insights about it than by just passing by, so you get to know the story behind the art and its signification.
Despite the size of eight million inhabitants, the green areas are not neglected to the local community. Parks are everywhere which invite you to stay, perfect to retreat from the hustle and bustle of the big city life or to talk to the local population about the world and to get valuable insights about life in Colombia and Bogota.
Many moments in this video were captured with a drone: even as a tourist the city can be admired from a bird's eye view, a trip to the local mountain of Bogota, the Monserrate, is particularly suitable. From there you have at an altitude of 3100 meters above sea level a magnificent view over the city and there you start to realize how widespread the city actually is.
Nightlife is a big thing in this latin metropolis. The local club Baum, famous in the electronic music scene, is not only a simple club, it also organizes events all over Colombia. In the video you can see excerpts from the Baum Park in Medellin and the bigger and better known Baum Festival in Bogota.
2. Pillar Point - Dove
The music video of Pillar Point focuses on a walk through La Candelaria, the old town and centre of Bogota. It is perfect for an afternoon stroll to admire the ancient architecture, taste culinary specialties or visit the Gold Museum, which houses the largest and most valuable collection of gold artifacts in the world. If you are interested in more information and not only want to admire the extraordinary sculptures, there is also the possibility to hire a guide.
Its colourful surroundings are a source for automatic good mood. Arrived at the Plaza de Bolivar (more about the personality of Simon Bolivar here), a popular photographic base, you can admire the heart of the old town. The video continues with the famous Paloquemao fruit market, a collection of fruits that you have probably never seen before, is it from the aspect of the quantity or the countless varieties. If it needs more reasons to convince you to visit the fruit market, there exist a full blog post about it.
At the end of the video we arrive at the notorious Barrio Egipto, starting point for the famous Breaking Borders Tour - a walk around led by former gang bosses and members that offers insights into the former life, the ambiente in this neighborhood and, as it couldn't be otherwise, street art. Stories are told about how the negative power of violence can be and also was transformed into positive energy and art.
3. Ali AKA Mind - Mi Ciudad Fresca
The video clip by Ali, a local gangster rapper, shows the life in a big city. The people in Bogota are very friendly and helpful, a characteristic which Colombian people usually bring with them. He again emphasizes the art, among others the Plaza de la Hoja with the huge graffiti on the floor, a place you shouldn't miss if you like grafitis. For friends of the fairground, the Ferris wheels or the youthful romance, there is the Salitre Magico, an amusement park that is open to visitors all year round for young and old.
4. The Mills - Te Amo Bogota
A fact that many visitors don't know, Bogota is extremely bicycle friendly and has a bicycle route network that is the largest in South America. Thus, the city can also be comfortably explored on a bicycle tour. Due to the speed, more attractions can be visited with this method in the same amount of time.
As probably everybody knows, the Colombians are absolutely crazy about football (soccer in the US). On the one hand you can play football with the people in the public parks or go to one of the huge stadiums and enjoy a real sports party - a place where tourists and locals get closer and make friendships.
The green areas in this city do not come too short. But with the parks itselfs it is not done yet, there are small nature reservoirs such as this one shown in the video (Humedal Juan Amarillo - for more infos, click here), which are either in the middle of the city or otherwise easily accessible by public transport. As soon as arrived you can completely switch off, withdraw from the big city life and have a quiet minute for yourself(s).
Fiestas are a big thing in Colombia and, how mentioned before, does not come too short in Bogota as well. If you want to explore the city like a local, insider tips will be given to you in our Bogota Nightlife Tour or more specific in a Salsa Tour.
5. Fonseca - Simples Corazones
As in every bigger city, shopping opportunities are not neglected to its inhabitants: is it a trip into the chic big fashion houses or by a walk through the handicraft markets, there is something for every taste and everyone.
Also the architecture leaves nothing to be desired: from older colonial-style buildings to modern high-tech houses such as the skyscrapers Torres Atrio and Center Bacata, which are with almost 300m the tallest in the country.
Speaking of the architecture, the buildings are not only beautiful to look at, they also accommodate for the gourmets among you numerous tasty culinary experiences. To enjoy just the best ones, check out the Gastronomic Wonders of Bogota.
For the knowledge-hungry among you there exists a special library which can be seen briefly in the video (Virgilio Barco). It does not only impress by the collection of books, but also with its unusual architecture in a beautiful location.
Bogota is not only big and wide, there is also a lot to discover and explore. The good thing: Not only specific needs are satisfied, so there is something for everyone in this cosmopolitan city, why it is worth spending at least a few days here.
