The Plaza 14 de Septiembre is the heart of old Cochabamba — a shaded square surrounded by arcaded colonial buildings, the cathedral on one side and municipal buildings on the others. It is the kind of plaza where people actually sit and watch the world go by rather than merely passing through, and the human traffic is a reasonable cross-section of the city.
The cathedral on the western side of the square was begun in 1542 — the oldest religious building in the Cochabamba valley. The interior is relatively plain by Bolivian standards but has a quietly dignified calm. The surrounding streets, particularly Avenida Heroínas a block north, are the main commercial spine of the city centre.