Boyacá

Tunja is the capital of Colombia's Boyacá department and one of the country's most historic highland cities. Founded in 1539, it sits at about 2,820 metres above sea level and combines a well-preserved colonial centre, pre-Hispanic Muisca heritage and a lively student population.

The city's character is rooted in its role in Colombia's independence. Around Plaza de Bolívar stand colonial landmarks such as the Catedral Basílica Metropolitana Santiago de Tunja and the Casa del Fundador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón, while the Puente de Boyacá, about 14 kilometres to the west, marks the site of the decisive 1819 battle.

The historic centre is the main draw, with churches, museums and old houses such as the Casa del Escribano Juan de Vargas, known for its Muisca-influenced mural paintings. Pozo de Hunzahúa and the Cojines del Zaque recall the city's Muisca past, while nearby Villa de Leyva and Paipa add colonial streets and hot springs to the region.

Tunja is an academic and administrative hub, home to the Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia and host of the Festival Internacional de la Cultura each August and the Aguinaldo Boyacense in December. Services, education, agriculture and a growing tourism sector drive the local economy.

For travelers, Tunja works as both a destination and a base: it offers highland scenery, colonial architecture, regional cooking and direct road links between Bogotá and the towns, lakes and páramo landscapes of the Boyacá highlands.