Potosi

Founded in 1546 as a mining town, it was at one point one of the largest cities in the Americas. It lies at the base of the Cerro Rico (rich mountain) from which thousands of tons of pure silver were excavated by slaves of the Spanish conquistadors. Today the city is home is visited for its rich colonial history and to visit the mines and miners that still work today in similarly deplorable conditions as their ancestors did 200 years ago.