Cusco

Cusco, also spelled Cuzco or Qosqo and known in Quechua as Qusqu, is a city in southeastern Peru. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and the provincial city of the same name, sitting high in the Andes at about 3,400 meters above sea level near the Sacred Valley. It is best known as the historic capital of the Inca Empire.

Historically, Cusco served as the Inca capital from the 13th or 14th century and grew into the administrative and ceremonial center of Tawantinsuyu under rulers such as Pachacuti in the 15th century. The city preserves a fusion of Inca and Spanish colonial architecture, with sites like the Sacsayhuamán fortress and the Qorikancha (the Temple of the Sun), later rebuilt by Spaniards as the church of Santo Domingo, surrounding the central Plaza de Armas.

Today Cusco is a major tourist hub and a gateway to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. The local economy relies heavily on tourism, as well as crafts and textiles. Visitors explore the Plaza de Armas, the Cusco Cathedral, the Qorikancha, and historic lanes such as the San Blas neighborhood, in addition to nearby archaeological sites.

Heritage and climate are notable features. The historic center of Cusco was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. The surrounding region is part of the Qhapaq Ñan, the Andean road system, which was inscribed as a World Heritage Corridor in 2014. The city has a cool, high-altitude climate with significant daily temperature variation, and visitors may experience altitude-related effects and should acclimatize accordingly.