4. Cuzco and Macchu Picchu

Cuzco is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Western Hemisphere and formerly the capital of the extensive Inca Empire. The city stands high in the Andes at an average elevation of 11,150 feet.

Cuzco, whose name derives from a Quechua word meaning “navel” or “center,” dates from the 11th or 12th century. The city itself had tens of thousands of inhabitants, perhaps as many as 200,000. The city of Cuzco was a place for the imperial court and the nobles; commoners did not live in the city with the exceptions being the servants, artisans and builders of the ruling class. Even the governors of the four major regions of the empire were required to have a home in Cuzco and to live one fourth of the year in the city. 

Cuzco and the surrounding area contain extensive Inca ruins that reflect great skill in engineering, stonework, and architecture. Still extant are numerous walls built without mortar; their stones were cut in irregular shapes and fitted with such precision that a matchbox cover cannot be inserted into most seams such as the famous Stone of Twelve Angles. The Koricancha Temple (right bottom) is house of worship to the sun god. Once covered in sheets of gold to reflect our star's luminous brilliance, Koricancha served not only as home to some 4,000+ priests and aides, but also as an Inca observatory from which to study the stars above. It was demolished by the Spanish conquistadors, but its foundation was rebuilt into the Santo Domingo Church (left) original curved wall remains.

Tucked away in the rocky countryside northwest of Cuzco, Machu Picchu (below) is believed to have been a royal estate, a retreat for the emperor and other nobles from the city, or sacred religious site for Inca leaders. The site stretches over an impressive 5-mile distance, featuring more than 3,000 stone steps that link its many different levels.