The Colonial City (Ciudad Colonial) is the central neighborhood of Santo Domingo and is known as the First City of the New World, since it is the oldest permanent European settlement in the New World. So, Santo Domingo used to be both the political and cultural hub of the Spanish, from where they conquered much of the Caribbean islands and American mainland.
La Zona Colonial (Colonial Zone), of which this historic part of the city is referred to, now contains many museums, statues, churches, military fortifications and other buildings still preserved. The center of this zone is cut by Calle El Conde, which is the oldest commercial street in the city, of which still is the hot spot for many restaurants, shops and hotels.
In the Plaza de España is Christopher Columbus' palace, the Alcázar de Colón. The building used to have 50 rooms, but the reconstructed one, after the original had caved in, now contains 22 rooms.
Not too far away from the city is a multi-million dollar monument dedicated to Cristóbal Colón, the Columbus Lighthouse; once in a while, they will turn on the lights of the monument which projects a cross into the night sky. However, it draws out so much power that all the lights in the city - every one - go out when the monument is turned on ... all the better to see the cross lit up in the sky (even from Puerto Rico), I suppose. The Lighthouse is said to contain the remains of Columbus - a mystery still to this day.
La Zona Colonial (Colonial Zone), of which this historic part of the city is referred to, now contains many museums, statues, churches, military fortifications and other buildings still preserved. The center of this zone is cut by Calle El Conde, which is the oldest commercial street in the city, of which still is the hot spot for many restaurants, shops and hotels.
In the Plaza de España is Christopher Columbus' palace, the Alcázar de Colón. The building used to have 50 rooms, but the reconstructed one, after the original had caved in, now contains 22 rooms.
Not too far away from the city is a multi-million dollar monument dedicated to Cristóbal Colón, the Columbus Lighthouse; once in a while, they will turn on the lights of the monument which projects a cross into the night sky. However, it draws out so much power that all the lights in the city - every one - go out when the monument is turned on ... all the better to see the cross lit up in the sky (even from Puerto Rico), I suppose. The Lighthouse is said to contain the remains of Columbus - a mystery still to this day.