Visa and entry requirements Bolivia:
Passport required
No visa is required
Information from the Foreign Office about your trip to Bolivia:
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/boliviensicherheit/213428
Bolivia, named after Simon Bolivar, is a landlocked country in South America with about 11 million inhabitants. The country borders Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina to the south, and Chile and Peru to the west.
Despite its wealth of natural resources (silver, tin, petroleum, natural gas), Bolivia was for a long time considered the poorest and weakest export country in South America.
The state is crossed in the west by two large and widely separated chains of the Andes, whose heights reach over 6,500 meters. In between lies the central Altiplano highlands with an altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 meters. In the middle of these highlands lie the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt lake, and Lake Titicaca, the highest commercially navigable lake in the world.
Due to the enormous differences in altitude, the climate in Bolivia is very diverse; there are roughly five different climate zones. The most widely spoken language in the country is Spanish, and another 35 indigenous languages are spoken in the country. Bolivia's national currency is the Bolivian Boliviano, where 1 euro corresponds to around 7.50 BOB.
The official capital of Bolivia is Sucre, but the seat of the government is in La Paz. The country's largest cities also include Santa Cruz de la Sierra, El Alto, Oruro, Tarija, Cochabamba, Potosi and Sacaba.
Although tourism has experienced significant growth in recent years, it is still only of minor importance. The main destinations for international visitors are the cities of La Paz and Sucre because of their colonial buildings, the city of Potosi with its many silver mines and magnificent buildings from the city's golden age - one of the largest cities in the world 400 years ago, the large Lake Titicaca with the "holy Islands", the Amazon region around Rurrenabaque, the Salar de Uyuni - the largest salt lake in the world and Tiahuanaco, the religious and administrative center of a pre-Columbian culture.
An annual event with great international attention is the Bolivian Carnival, with the Carnival of Oruro as the most important event. The tourist infrastructure is good in most cases and the prices are very low, especially for Europeans. As a result, Bolivia has now developed into a travel destination for backpackers.
Bolivia's most important city is La Paz, with an altitude between 3,200 and 4,100 meters. The city is also home to the highest seat of government on earth.
The main attractions of La Paz include the Government Palace, the Church of San Francisco, the Parliament Building, the Witches' Market, the Coca Museum, the Black Market, the Plaza Murillo, the Central Bank of Bolivia building, the prison city of San Pedro, the Market Rodriguez, the National Art Museum, the moon valley “Valle de la Luna”, the ruins of Tiahuanaco, Chacaltaya – the highest ski slope in the world at 5,421 meters and the famous cable car “Mi Teleferico”.
In January 2018 I fulfilled a long-awaited wish and visited La Paz for three days. The moment you look down on the city from 4,100 meters from the airport is simply indescribable and unique in this world. For me personally, the breathtaking city of La Paz is one of the top 3 inland cities in the world, so fascinating and mountainous. However, it is damn difficult and tiring to walk through the city.
From morning to midday, the entire city center looks like one big market. In practically every street there are mostly women in local costumes, trying to sell the produce they grow in the surrounding fields for a profit. Every morning there is an impressive picture of colorful fruit and vegetables in the streets as well as the opportunity for countless exciting photo opportunities.
The highlight of La Paz, however, is the impressive network of the “Mi Teleferico” cable car. The cable car system of this type, which is unique in the world, gave me incredibly impressive views and perfect transportation in this city, with its huge differences in altitude, for little money.
The Andean state of Bolivia and especially the city of La Paz are a fantastic travel destination in South America. One day I'll definitely come back, but then for a longer period of time.
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