El Obelisco
El Obelisco is a popular tourist attraction that sits 68 meters (223 feet) above the city. The obelisk has since become a symbolic icon of the city, marking a strategic central point - three of the city's underground metro lines connect beneath the obelisk, and the Metrobus dedicated bus corridor passes at street level - while the monument is also a beacon that is frequently the central focal point for everything from sporting celebrations to political demonstrations.
Inside the structure, there is a ladder with 206 steps and seven resting places leading up to the viewing platform, which has windows on each of the four sides (closed to the public). On the very top of the pyramid is a lightning rod.
What has become one of the city's most well-known icons was not always popular with inhabitants. In fact, there was so much opposition to the monument at first that the local authorities sanctioned its removal three years after its inauguration, the move that was eventually overruled by the city's mayor at the time. Since then, the obelisk has been the subject of various artistic and political interventions, including works by Marta Minujn and Leandro Erlich, as well as installations for international AIDS awareness day.
- Google Rating: 4.6/5
- Opening Hours: Daily
- Website: https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/en/otros-establecimientos/obelisk
- Address: Av. 9 de Julio s/n, C1043 Buenos Aires, Argentina
