Guanajuato is one of Mexico's most beautiful colonial cities, and one of the most dramatically situated — built into a narrow ravine in the mountains of central Mexico, with streets so steep and winding that the city had to run its main traffic underground through a network of tunnels carved into former riverbeds. It's a UNESCO World Heritage city and looks the part: a dense tangle of coloured facades, baroque churches, and cobbled alleys stacked up the hillsides.
The city made its fortune from silver. From the 16th century onward, the mines around Guanajuato produced a significant portion of the world's silver, and the wealth shows in the architecture — the Alhóndiga de Granaditas, now a museum, is a hulking neoclassical granary turned fortress that witnessed one of the first battles of the Mexican War of Independence in 1810. The surrounding hills are still dotted with old mine workings, some of which can be visited at La Valenciana, a few kilometres above the city.
The Callejón del Beso — the Alley of the Kiss — is the most famous of the city's many narrow alleys, only 69 centimetres wide at its narrowest point. The name comes from the old story that neighbouring balconies were close enough for lovers to meet. It's a tourist draw now, but the alley is genuinely charming.
Guanajuato is also home to the Festival Internacional Cervantino, held every October, which draws theatre, music, and dance companies from across the world. The city has a large student population — the University of Guanajuato is one of the oldest in Mexico — which keeps it lively year-round.