It has been called cosmopolitan, European, crazy but these adjectives go nowhere near giving a complete description of Mexico City. It was founded by the Spaniards near the ruins of the Templo Mayor, a relic of an ancient civilisation, and has been influenced by every architectural trend from Europe, ranging from the Baroque over Romanesque to Gothic, Classical and even Art Nouveau and Modern Art.

The end result is a bizarrely heteroclite collection of edifices. But local art has not been lost and Mexican culture enjoys pride of place in this city of contrasts where the finest examples can be seen in a multitude of museums (for example the Frida Kahlo Museum).