Saltillo, capital of the state of Coahuila and the oldest city in north-eastern Mexico, was founded by Spaniards and Portuguese in 1575 as a strategic station along the Camino Real.

Although the mile-high city sprawls with suburbs and industrial complexes, its historical centre is visually appealing, with buildings in a variety of architectural styles. Brick and stucco homes surround the town’s open main square, Plaza de Armas. Behind the state government palace is Plaza de la Nueva Tlaxcala, a public square whose eye-catching classic-style statue depicts the city’s founders.

Foacing Placa de Armas is one of northern Mexico’s most gorgeous churches, the baroque Catedral de Santiago de Saltillo and adjoining chapel. The base of its Churrigueresque façade is adorned with spiral Solomonic columns covered with fruit and flowers, and its magnificent wooden doors are carved with the images of St. Peter and St. Paul.