Sacsayhuamán ​Historic Site

Thursday, February 22

Cusco was once the capital of the entire Inca Empire, and even today, visitors can admire traces of the Incas here. Arguably the most important sight in Cusco are the ruins of the Inca fortress “Sacsayhuamán.”

The Sacsayhuamán complex is located above the city of Cusco. Because Cusco is built on a hillside, most of the city's streets are quite steep, and due to Cusco's altitude (3,500 meters above sea level), you'll quickly get out of breath while strolling through the city. From the main square (Plaza de Armas) in the center of Cusco, you can walk up to the Sacsayhuamán ruins, but the path is very steep and strenuous. Because most houses in Cusco are just one story buildings, while walking up, you often have a great view of the Plaza de Armas and can see far above the rooftops of Cusco. I therefore recommend walking up to the ruins instead of calling a taxi. Once you reach the top, at the entrance to the ruins, you'll find yourself overlooking the city of Cusco and can enjoy a panoramic view of the entire city.

If you're staying in Cusco for a few days and want to see several sights in the city and the surrounding area, it's best to buy the “Boleto Turístico”. This ticket (approx. 50 euros) allows you to visit many different places and is cheaper than paying individual entrance fees for each sight. We entered the “Sacsayhuamán” site, which was a vast, flat meadow dotted with countless Inca structures. With the ticket, we were able to move around the entire site independently, walk along various small paths, and admire the impressive ruins. What is special about the ruins is that the walls and archways were built from huge, irregularly sized boulders that the Incas had carved so that they fit perfectly together, despite their different shapes and sizes. The individual stone blocks are so powerful and massive that it was crazy to think about how the Incas could even move them from point A to point B, let alone build entire houses with them. The Inca buildings and stonework have a very specific visual style that is typical of Cusco and Inca architecture. While these types of Inca walls are particularly magnificent, large, and beautiful at the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuamán, similar walls and smaller structure can also be admired elsewhere in the city.