The Mexican city of Guanajuato is the capital of the state of the same name. It is located 370km north-west of Mexico City. This city was originally built over the Guanajuato River, which flowed through tunnels underneath the city. However, after years of raising buildings to accommodate repeated flooding, in the mid-twentieth century, engineers built a dam and redirected the river into underground caverns. The tunnels were lit and paved with cobblestones for traffic, and this underground road network carries the majority of cars driving through the city today. It is one of the most noticeable features of the city. The film "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" was filmed primarily in the city of Guanajuato. Many of the scenes in the film feature sights easily recognizable to someone who has visited the city.

Tourist Offices
The State Tourist Information office is on Plaza de la Paz, 14.

Sightseeing
In the Panteón catacombs, to the west of the city, is a famous cemetery noted for the natural mummies produced by unknown means. About 1 in 100 bodies buried here experience natural mummification. In the late 1800s the town instituted a "burial tax" for the families of the deceased. When some of the poorest families were unable to pay the tax, their relatives were dug up and placed on public view in a purpose-built museum. The 'Guanajuato Mummy Museum' still adds corpses to this day; two children who died in 1984 were added most recently due to their relatives' failure to pay the $ 20 per 5 year rental fee. The museum holds 111 corpses resting on velvet pillows. Today, it is reported that the proceeds from the museum help fund the city's coffers to a considerable degree. Each October the city holds the Festival Internacional Cervantino, an international festival of the arts named after Miguel de Cervantes. The festival is a popular draw for young students from across central Mexico, but attracts participants and spectators from around the world too.

Getting there
There are regular buses here from Guadalajara, León, San Luis Potosí, Dolores Hidalgo and San Miguel de Allende.