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Cusco

City in PeruCusco sits high in the Andes of south-eastern Peru, at around 3,400 m, near the Huatanay and Urubamba rivers and the Sacred Valley.

What it's known for

Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest, and Peru's 1993 Constitution names it the Historical Capital of Peru. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, and from here visitors reach Machu Picchu by train or on foot along the Inca Trail.

Fun facts

  1. The name comes from the Aymara phrase qusqu wanka, 'rock of the owl', which is linked to the city's founding legend.
  2. The Stone of Twelve Angles, a block set in an old Inca wall in the city, is seen as a marvel of ancient stonework.
  3. Every 24 June the city celebrates Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, around the winter solstice.

Finding it on the globe

From Lima on the Pacific coast, go about 570 km southeast, up into the Andes: Cusco is there, northwest of Lake Titicaca.

Easy to mix up

Many players tap Cusco because of its Inca past, but Peru's capital is Lima, on the Pacific coast.

Sources: Wikipedia: Cusco, Wikipedia: Lake Titicaca