Rodrigo Arenas Betancur, Colombia's favorite designer of monuments, has a number of pieces around Medellín, but the most impressive work is this one in front of the municipal building that tells the story of Antioquia in dramatically twisting metal.
© David Bautista/Getty Images/iStock
Monumento a la Raza
Medellín
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
27.18 MILES
Also known as El Peñon de Guatapé, thanks to the fierce rivalry between the towns it straddles, this 200m-high granite monolith rises from near the edge…
-
1.22 MILES
This harrowing museum dedicated to the urban conflict in Medellín is a must-visit for travelers wanting to fully understand the city (and Colombia). There…
3.13 MILES
Once one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Medellín, the Comuna 13, which clings to the mountainside above the San Javier metro station, has…
-
0.62 MILES
In the grand art deco Palacio Municipal, Colombia's second-oldest museum (Museo Nacional in Bogotá is the oldest) houses one of the country's most…
Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín
1.35 MILES
Set around a refurbished industrial building in Ciudad del Río, 'El MAMM' showcases changing exhibitions of contemporary art. The large new wing houses…
-
2.43 MILES
Located in the house where the artist lived and worked, this fine museum has an extensive collection of pieces by prolific local painter Pedro Nel Gómez …
-
0.64 MILES
This public space in front of the Museo de Antioquia is home to 23 large, curvaceous bronze sculptures by renowned local artist Fernando Botero, including…
-
2.32 MILES
The densely populated neighborhood of Moravia was once Medellín's municipal rubbish dump with an open-air mountain of trash surrounded by a large shanty…
Nearby Medellín attractions
0.55 MILES
Constructed with funds from European immigrants, this fine church inaugurated in 1803 is the only colonial-style temple in the city and features a stone…
0.57 MILES
Medellín's most important church stands guard over Parque Berrío and was constructed in the 1770s on the site of an earlier wooden structure. It features…
3. Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe
0.62 MILES
Adjacent to the Berrío metro station, this striking black-and-white Gothic Revival building designed by Belgian architect Agustín Goovaerts is one of…
0.62 MILES
This landmark church on Av Oriental has immense stained-glass panels that light up the facade in the evenings.
0.62 MILES
In the grand art deco Palacio Municipal, Colombia's second-oldest museum (Museo Nacional in Bogotá is the oldest) houses one of the country's most…
6. Plazoleta de las Esculturas
0.64 MILES
This public space in front of the Museo de Antioquia is home to 23 large, curvaceous bronze sculptures by renowned local artist Fernando Botero, including…
0.7 MILES
Next to the lookout Cerro Nutibara you'll find the Museo de la Ciudad, a small museum dedicated to the history of Medellín that often showcases…
0.71 MILES
On top of this 80m-tall hill, 2km southwest of the city center, sits the kitschy Pueblito Paisa, a miniature version of a typical Antioquian township,…