Inside a fortress-like building, the Museo Nacional de Colombia provides a detailed chronological look at the country’s tumultuous history. The converted jailhouse’s most impressive exhibits relate to the conquest and the origins of the beguiling El Dorado myth that so obsessed Europe. The second floor houses an extensive collection of paintings by modern Colombian artists, including Fernando Botero, while on the third floor, don’t miss the exhibit on Jorge Gaitán, the populist leader assassinated in 1948. Descriptions are in Spanish only, but you can pick up English-language placards.
Explore Colombia 