The dusty old mining center of Pachuca, Mexico, has become a fast-growing urban area. It has a few remnants left over from colonial days but is otherwise quite unexciting.
The Museo Nacional de la Fotografia, housed in a former convent, is the largest historical-photograph archive in Mexico. Its 1.5 million photos include an especially impressive collection of images from the Mexican Revolution by the famous Casasola brothers. Also visit the Hidalgo Cultural Center in town. The zocalo (central plaza), with an ornate clock tower, is a pleasant place to stroll.
Lying 65 mi/105 km northeast of Mexico City, Pachuca is a good base for visiting the beautiful El Chico National Park, a pine-forested highland popular for mountain biking, rock climbing and picnicking. The town is also a fifteen-minute drive from the ruins at Teotihuacan and makes a convenient side trip.
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