Asunción offers several distinct themes to help you plan your trip: the public riverside space of the Costanera, Paraguayan and international art, the architectural history of the Panteón Nacional de los Héroes, and the Jardín Botánico y Zoológico. These places do not offer one uniform itinerary. Instead, you can choose a focus based on whether you are interested in the setting along the Río Paraguay, an art collection, national remembrance, or the combination of wildlife and historic heritage.
The Costanera on the Río Paraguay
The Costanera de Asunción is a public space along the banks of the Río Paraguay. Its defining feature is its riverside location in the capital. It offers a different perspective on Asunción than the art and history themes of the other places featured here: the Costanera is all about its location by the river, rather than a collection or architectural history. If you want to compare different aspects of the city by theme, this difference offers a clear starting point. The Costanera thus provides a distinct focus for anyone who wants to explore Asunción through its relationship with the river.
Paraguayan and international art
In Asunción, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes preserves a valuable collection of Paraguayan and international works of art from different periods and styles. This combination gives the art focus several perspectives: the collection includes works from Paraguay as well as international art, and is not limited to a single period or style. This sets it apart in subject matter from the historical themes centered on a building and its history. If you want art to be a focus of your trip, the collection offers a specific point of interest; at the same time, you can view Paraguayan and international works as distinct areas represented side by side.
Architectural history and remembrance at the Panteón
The Panteón Nacional de los Héroes is located in central Asunción. Construction began in 1863 at the initiative of then-president Francisco Solano López. It was originally planned as a temple dedicated to the Virgen de la Asunción. The consequences of the War of the Triple Alliance delayed its completion until 1936. Its history of construction therefore spans several decades, linking early plans with a much later completion.
Those laid to rest in the Panteón include Mariscal Francisco Solano López, President Carlos Antonio López, Mariscal José Félix Estigarribia and his wife Julia Miranda Cueto, the Niños Mártires de Acosta Ñu, and two unknown soldiers. The building’s history and the people laid to rest there provide different historical points of reference. This means that you can understand the Panteón not only through the start and lengthy delay of its construction, but also through the people and groups laid to rest there. The Panteón thus centers on the connection between architectural planning, historical development and remembrance.
Wildlife and historic heritage at the Jardín Botánico y Zoológico
The zoo at the Jardín Botánico y Zoológico in the barrio Trinidad is home to about 70 species of wild animals, including birds, mammals and reptiles. The number of species is approximate; the animal groups listed give an impression of the range of wildlife represented there. The grounds also include the country house of former president Carlos Antonio López. It is of considerable heritage value and forms part of the garden tour.
The grounds thus bring together two different themes: the zoo’s wildlife and a historic building with heritage value of its own. Unlike the Panteón, where the construction history and those laid to rest there are central, here the country house is an additional part of the garden tour. This combination on the grounds gives the Jardín Botánico y Zoológico a different profile from the city’s art and remembrance sites. If you want to include nature and history in your selection, this juxtaposition is what makes it particularly noteworthy.
For an overview of the wider trip: Paraguay.
