Avenida Santa Fe 3951 (at the intersection of Las Heras avenue)
It was inaugurated in 1898. This is the main work of the French landscaper and architect Carlos Thays. Currently, it occupies a surface of almost eight hectares. It has been calculated that 5,000 to 6,000 plants species have been planted.
The Argentine flora prevails, including characteristic species from each province. The rest of the areas comprise vegetable samples from each continent.
The garden has been decorated also with sculptures and fountains.
2. Buenos Aires Zoo
Intersection of Las Heras and Sarmiento avenues
It was created more than one hundred years ago. It is an ideal place to spend the whole day and enjoy the great variety of animal species as well as the architectonical art works which reproduce the worldwide classics. The entrance portico is a reproduction of the ‘Triumph Arch of Tito’ in Rome; the Elephants Palace, a replica of the Goddess Nimaschi Chapel in Mumbai; a few steps onwards, you can see the Vesta Chapel, which is a circular building that includes 16 Corinthian columns, a copy of the original chapel located in Rome. The Zoo also offers a wide variety of art works, like the ‘Girl with Flowers’, a replica of the original work made by the Italian Canova, and the ‘Fallen Monkey’, made by Passani. Additionally, a female shape sculptured by the Argentinean Lola Mora can be seen.
3. Argentine Rural Society (SRA)
Intersection of Sarmiento and Santa Fe avenues
Te. 4324 4700
I has been the most important expo center in Buenos Aires Since for 120 years so far. It has a surface of 45,000 roofed square meters and four conference rooms. Every year, this is the venue for one of the most important livestock exhibitions in the world, “La rural”.
4. Monument to the Spaniards
Sarmiento and Libertador avenues
The real name is ‘Magna Carta and the Four Argentine Regions’, but everybody knows it as the monument to the Spaniards. It has been one of the commemorative works donated, for the Centenary of the May Revolution, in 1910 by the Spanish collectivity residing in our country. The construction suffered several problems. The sculptor died one year after finishing the rough designs. Same thing happened to his successor, Cipriano Flojeras. The work was completed by other artists. In 1910, the fundamental stone was set with the attendance of Infant Isabel de Borbón. However it was not finished for the city celebrations. The work, was even more delayed when the Spanish ship which brought the bronze pieces got sunk, on March, 1916, in front of Ilha Bella. So, the bronze remained there at the Brazilian coast. One year later, replicas were ordered to Spain which were finished later on, in 1918. The monument was finally inaugurated on May 25, 1927.
5. Alemania Square
Surrounded by Libertador, Casares, Castex and Cavia avenues
The design has been in charge of the landscaper Charles Thays, who has also made the Botanic Garden plans. It was inaugurated in 1914. There are many flower paths and a garden designed in a European style. In 2004, the City Government along with the city neighbors decided to recover the original design. One of the most important works was to place the fountain called Agricultural Argentine Richness, given away by the German collectivity in 1910, during the celebrations of the centenary. The fountain was created by the sculptor Adolfo Bredow, made of Rome lava (rock in molten form), Carrara marble and bronze.
6. Japanese Garden
Intersection of Carlos Casares and Figueroa Alcorta avenues
It has been donated by the Japanese community residing in Buenos Aires. It is a reproduction of a traditional Japanese garden. The garden includes a lake -where multicolor carp fishes live, a cascade, a dry garden -designed in a style similar to the Zen gardens, a space created to practice meditation, a tea house and a restaurant. Exhibitions and workshops on Japanese culture are usually organized.
7. Persian Column
Intersection of Figueroa Alcorta and Sarmiento avenues
This column was given away by the Iranian government. It is known as “The Column of the Persian Temple”. This is a replica of the columns located at the Palace of Persepolis. This palace was built between centuries 6th and 5th BC by Dario and Jerjes. The building is 19 meters high. On the top area, there are two bullocks’ heads.
8. Tres de Febrero Park
Intersection of Libertador and Sarmiento avenues
On November 11, 1875 , this park was inaugurated on the initiative of Sarmiento. The date was chosen in commemoration of the Caseros battle. The original project was in charge of the architects Ernesto Oldendorf, Fernando Mauduit and Jordan Wysocky, and it was completed in 1876 by the architect Julio Dormal. Further enlargements (between 1892 and 1913) were in charge of the landscaper Carlos Thays.
Along Sarmiento avenue, between Libertador and Figueroa Alcorta avenues, you can find the monument to the Little Red Riding Hood. It was made of marble and purchased by Buenos Aires Municipality in 1937. It is a creation of the French artist Jean Carlus. A few meters away from there, one of the emblematic milonga can be found, “lo de Hansen”. Between 1895 and 1910, it was the most popular night place in Buenos Aires. It was located at the intersection of current Sarmiento and Figueroa Alcorta avenues.
9. Galileo Galilei Planetarium
Intersection of Belisario Roldán and Sarmiento avenues
The premises consist of five floors, six stairs (one of them is a spiral stair) and a circular room of 20 meters of diameter and 360 seats. At the semispherical dome -20 meters of diameter and internally roofed with aluminum– the sky-blue dome is projected. At the center of the room, the proper planetarium is located: a device 5 meters high and 2.5 tones of weight equipped with one hundred projectors approximately. This device is also equipped with a cylindrical shell with independent projectors for the moon, the sun and those planets which can be seen at simple sight: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, and two spheres at the extremes which project 8,900 stars.
By the lake beside the planetarium, the sculpture called Sorprendida, made by the Italian Nicolás A. Ferrari is placed, and a few meters away you can see a monolith in homage to the wise Polish Nicolás Copérnico. The first football match in Argentina took place on this lands on June 29 1867. The local team of the Buenos Aires Criquet Club played against the crew of the British war ship, "Bombay".
10. The lakes
Surrounded by Infanta Isabel and Araola avenues
The artificial lakes of Palermo neighborhood were created by filling the depression that was formed at the land extraction accomplished to build embankments for the railway. The lakes are surrounded by a beautiful forest of tipas, eucalyptus, talas and ombúes. There, you can hire boats with paddles or pedals. A short distance from there, you can find the Eduardo Sívori museum (Infanta Isabel 555); the oldest museum in the city. This museum comprises a patrimony of above 4,500 Argentine works of art: sculptures, tapestry and important collections of drawings and engravings.
11. Argentine Hippodrome of Palermo
Avenida del Libertador 4100
It was inaugurated in 1876 on the lands that surround the alfalfa-cultivated lands owned by Rosas and the Tres de Febrero park. Trains and tramcars could not cope on that day with so many people. Ten thousand spectators could enjoy the time achieved by Resbaloso, the winner of the first career. The official grandstand and the París patisserie are part of the architectonic patrimony of the city. The hippodrome has a surface of sixty hectares and three cava sand tracks. Two of them are exclusively used for training and the main track (2400 meters) is used for the tournaments. This track has been considered as one of the best ones in the world.
13. Rose Garden
Surrounded by Infanta Isabel, Iraola and Pres. P. Montt avenues
It is the heart of the Tres de Febrero park. It was created in 1914 by the landscaper Carlos Thays. Originally, 14,700 rose bushes took root; now, 12,000 ones have grown there.
The most important attractions are the Andalusian Patio (built in 1929 and given away by the Spanish city, Seville), the Arbor (covered with climbing rose bushes) and the White Bridge (a magnificent construction of wood built over the lake). At the center of the Rose Garden, you can see the Garden of the Poets, where several busts of the most important poets have been placed: William Shakespeare, Alfonsina Storni, Dante Alighieri, Federico García Lorca, Antonio Machado and Jorge Luis Borges, among others.
