Salta: History

Pre-20th-Century History

Founded in 1582 by Hernando de Lerma, Salta lies in a basin surrounded by verdant peaks. The valley's perpetual spring attracted the Spanish, providing them with a good place to pasture their animals and produce crops that were not possible to grow in the frigid Bolivian highlands, where the mining industry demanded hides, mules and food.

Salta's economic and urban development waned as trade moved to the new capital, Buenos Aires. In 1890, the extension of the Belgrano railroad made it feasible to market sugar to the immigrant city of the Pampas, and Salta managed to recover slightly from its 19th-century decline.

Modern History

Moderate to little immigration and expansion in the 19th and early 20th centuries helped to preserve the city's architectural heritage. Hundreds of archaeological sites and colonial buildings testify to Salta's importance in both Pre-Columbian and colonial times, even though it declined with Argentine independence.

A railway connecting the Andean northwest with Chile began in 1921 - a magnificent engineering achievement unjustified on any reasonable economic grounds, though it has since become a major attraction bringing in thousands of tourists each year. A migration boom, also in the 1920s, bought Neo-classical architecture to the city.

Recent History

Tourism serves an increasingly important role in Salta's fortunes. If you need to arrange anything through a travel agent, you'll find this is a convenient place to do it, as the town is crawling with them. The city's young population - combined with a steady stream of travelers heading to and from Bolivia - give the streets a lively feel.

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