Place to see: Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico

About this place:

Housed in a compound sprawling over nearly six-square blocks at the head of Oaxaca’s historic downtown, the church of Santo Domingo is hard to miss. First opened for worship in 1608, the church is considered an exemplary example of the Mexican Baroque style. Outside, the thick and mostly bare twin bell towers couch a rather ordinary carved frieze. Passing through the doors, however, takes you into a gold-drenched interior, stunning for its intricate carvings and sheer extravagance. Perhaps most notable is the main altarpiece of the church, three stories of statues and paintings of Biblical figures backed by gold leaf. Despite the church’s age, the locally made altar dates only to 1959. Visitors with money to spare may wish to check out the botanical garden, library and museum on the site, all pay-to-enter.