For a long period of time, the region of Quetzaltenango was known as the Estado de los Altos (state of the heights). Quetzaltenango has always been identified for its hard work and progress, and that is why after Central America signed its Independence on 1821, the idea of separating from Guatemala came up, to form what would have been the sixth State of the Central American Federation.

This was the result of the abandonment and lack of attention suffered by the region from the capital city authorities. In 1838 the Estado de los Altos was established, having as military hero the General Agustín Guzmán. The new state included the departments of Sololá, Totonicapán and Quetzaltenango. In 1840 Rafael Carrera invaded the West and fought with the Municipal Corporation. Later these territories where reincorporated to the Republic of Guatemala.

Quetzaltenango, the City of the Heights, is without a doubt the most patriotic of all cities, and in September it takes pride in the celebration of the festivities of independence, offering the visitor the most beautiful natural landscapes and a sample of its broad culture.

The Marimba Monument is the best welcome to the City of the Heights. Starting with this sculpture, Xela offers itself magnificent and proud, maybe for the pride of being the birthplace of so many great artists like Paco Pérez, Otto René Castillo, Werner Ovalle and Domingo Bethancourt.

When arriving to the center of the city, the visitor is lost under the constructions which date from the XVI and XIX centuries. The construction of the first church in Quetzaltenango was ordered by the Bishop Francisco Marroquín and was constructed in 1532, baptized with the name of the Church of the Holy Spirit. One of the back porticos, of baroque style, is still conserved, and at the present it is being restored. In February 9, 1853 the earthquake caused considerable damage to the temple, and that is why, the engineer Alberto Porta designed, in neoclassical style, the current Cathedral which was inaugurated on September 16, 1954.

Continuing with our journey, we found the City Hall, constructed in 1812 by the mayor at that time, Miguel Palomo. In 1830 the first hospital of Quetzaltenango was located in this place. It was not until 1887, when Domingo Goicolea y Urréjola built the existing City Hall, which suffered damages during the earthquake of April 18, 1902 and a year later when a bomb exploded. After a series of reparations, this building, of more than 100 years, has not yet been finished. However, its gardens, balconies and enormous wooden doors make of this construction, a place worthy of your visit. The existing Central Park of Quetzaltenango was originally a Hispanic plaza, built according to the orders of the Spanish Crown, and traced like a colonial city. At one side of the plaza the church's hall from the convent was located, which served the members of the city church.

With time, the hall was transformed into the garden of The Youth and the plaza became The Union garden, both separated by the Portal de las Banderillas (Porch of the Small Flags) which is dedicated to commerce. In 1938, architect Rafael Pérez de León (the builder of the National Palace in Guatemala City) restructured both gardens and created the Central America Garden, with the help of the builders Martín Quijivix and Macario Ixcol.

At the south border of the park you will find the House of Culture, were the National Museum of History is currently located, with a collection of pre-Hispanic pieces and historical memories. You will also find the Museum of the Marimba, which compiles in a small space, important moments in the history of our national instrument. When you visit Quetzaltenango, it is advisable to attend the Museum of Art, which is the home of valuable works of Quetzaltenango's artists.

The Railroad Museum functions in the lower base of this building, and less than half a block you will find El Pasaje Enríquez (the Enriquez' Alley) a historical and bohemian place were you will almost always find a young man, with its guitar, interpreting a song. To finish our trip, you must visit the Municipal Theater, where every year in the month of September, the national beauty contest takes place. It was on September 14, 1891, when Manuel Estrada Cabrera, at that time the mayor of the City, started the construction of this monumental masterpiece. But it was not until 1895 when it was inaugurated.

The cobblestone streets, today surrounded by shops, and the lights of the public illumination service diffuse the images of past days, and invite the visitor to enter one of its coffee shops to taste a cup of hot chocolate or delight with an appetizing pache (like a tamale, but using a potato dough, with chicken or meat, and a special chili sauce wrapped in banana leaves).

One of the most famous towns for its cultivated products is Almolonga, which is only five kilometers apart from Quetzaltenango. The patches formed by the colors of the different vegetables and flowers surround the landscape around the highway. Very close, you will find Las Aguas Amargas (The Bitter Waters) and El Rosario (the Rosary), two places of thermal sulfuric waters that combine the powers of nature; while the fog, characteristic of this region, helps perceive more clearly the echo of the mountain.

It is considered the ancient Historic Center of Guatemala, and perhaps of Central America, because a mam community existed in the valley long before the discovery of America in 1492.

The Historic Center Master Plan of Revitalization of the City of Quetzaltenango quotes that the ancient part of the city includes in its urban trace, narrowed and uneven streets, lots of them who are not yet paved with stones, which lead to the monumental constructions and residents with classical style. The architecture of this part contains historical elements built and carved in stone and stucco which give evidence of the evolution of the city. It also has a unique identity, with activities which include traditional forms of expression of its culture. However, the architect Otto Juárez, local director of the plan, affirms that due to the notorious damage of the urban-architectonic conditions and the loss of the historical, cultural and social patrimony of the Historic Center of the City, the Municipality of Quetzaltenango, the Institute of Anthropology and History of Guatemala and the Spanish Agency of Cooperation have initiated studies in order to improve the urban image of the Historic Center and preserve its natural surroundings. One of its objectives is to have a better city.