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Monterrey (/ ˌ m ɒ n t ə ˈ r eɪ / ⓘ MON-tə-RAY, Spanish: ⓘ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the ninth largest city and second largest metro area in Mexico behind Greater Mexico City.
- Overview
- History
- The contemporary city
Monterrey, city, capital of Nuevo León estado (state), northeastern Mexico. At an elevation of about 1,765 feet (538 metres) in the west-central part of the state, Monterrey sprawls over the semiarid floodplain of the Santa Catarina River, which spills eastward from the flanks of the Sierra Madre Oriental. Parts of the city are set against the scen...
Founded as a Spanish settlement in 1596, Monterrey grew slowly, owing to Indian resistance, periodic floods, and a lack of mineral wealth. By 1775 it had only a few hundred residents, but in the 19th century the city mushroomed into a major population centre. During the Mexican-American War (1846–48) it was captured by U.S. troops, many of whom rav...
Monterrey is the heart of one the country’s largest urban agglomerations. With a mixture of services and manufacturing, it is also the key to Nuevo León’s status as the third largest state economy in Mexico, after the Federal District and the state of México. Heavy industries such as ironworks and steelworks produce steel sheet-rolls and an array of other metal products. Monterrey’s wide range of light manufactures include textiles, beer, processed foods, chemicals, and glass and plastic products. On the piedmont to the north and east of the city, irrigated crops are grown, including cotton, citrus fruits, sugarcane, cereals (especially corn [maize] and wheat), and vegetables. Monterrey is the chief Mexican beneficiary of the large Falcon (Falcón) Dam and Reservoir project, on the lower Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte); local rivers also provide hydroelectric power.
High-rise hotels and office buildings mark the central business district, above which looms the lava-red Lighthouse of Commerce, a 230-foot (70-metre) observation tower symbolizing the economic aspirations of the city. The city’s amenities also include shopping malls, golf courses, and a convention centre, which hosts large trade shows. The varied urban landscape—with slums and fashionable districts sometimes in close proximity—reveals Monterrey’s blend of wealthy, middle-class, and poor residents. But its general urban development contrasts strongly with the relative poverty of smaller cities and rural districts.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Horno3. Blast Furnace No 3 in the former industrial site of the Parque Fundidora has been converted into Horno3, an exceptionally impressive high-tech, hands-on…
- Parque Ecológico Chipinque. This stunning mountainside reserve is just 12km from downtown Monterrey. There's great hiking and mountain-biking on over 60km of well-marked trails…
- Paseo Santa Lucía. The stunning 2.3km promenade of Paseo Santa Lucía is a world-class example of urban regeneration. This (artificial) river forms a turquoise ribbon through…
- Museo de Historia Mexicana. This sleek modernist museum on the Plaza 400 Años presents an extensive but easily manageable chronological history of Mexico.
- Begin a Tour of the City at the Macroplaza. The world's fourth largest public square, Monterrey's Macroplaza is a great place to begin a tour of the city due to its proximity to many of the most important tourist attractions, most within walking distance or an easy bus or subway ride.
- MARCO: The Museum of Contemporary Art. Opened in 1991, the stunningly designed Museum of Contemporary Art (Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey, or MARCO for short) stands on Gran Plaza and is a must for those curious about Mexican art.
- Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of Monterrey. Monterrey's most important catholic edifice, and one of the top free things to do in the city (though donations are always welcome), the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of Monterrey (Metropolitana de Nuestra Señora de Monterrey) is well worth including on a walking tour of the city's downtown core.
- Stroll along the Santa Lucia Riverwalk. One of the most pleasant walks in Monterrey is along the spectacular Santa Lucia Riverwalk (Paseo Santa Lucía), a man-made river that opened in 2007 and which stretches nearly three kilometers across the city, connecting the Macroplaza to Fundidora Park.
- Take a Stroll in the Macroplaza. Address. Centro, 64000 Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. Get directions. The name "Macroplaza" for Monterrey's main city square isn't hyperbole because it's actually massive.
- Hike and Spot Wildlife at Parque Ecologico Chipinque. Address. Carretera a Chipinque Km. 2.5, Valle de San Angel, Zona de La Sierra Madre, 66290 San Pedro Garza García, N.L., Mexico.
- Explore Former Steel Foundy at Fundidora Park. Address. Avenida Fundidora y, Adolfo Prieto S/N, Obrera, 64010 Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. Get directions. Phone +52 81 8126 8500.
- Enjoy the View From the Asta Bandera. Address. C. Loma Larga 2447, Obispado, 64060 Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. Get directions. The largest monumental flag in Mexico waves at the top of the Cerro del Obispado (Bishop's Hill) and from here you enjoy some great panoramic views of the city and the Sierra Madre mountains beyond it.
Discover Monterrey, Mexico. Monterrey—Mexico’s third largest city and capital city of the state of Nuevo Leon—is set in the spectacular Sierra Madre mountain region of north-west Mexico. Three million residents populate Monterrey’s metropolitan area and when you visit here, you realize that Monterrey is more like the United States and ...
Things to Do in Monterrey, Mexico: See Tripadvisor's 93,758 traveler reviews and photos of Monterrey tourist attractions. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in June. We have reviews of the best places to see in Monterrey. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.
