Cusco was once the heart of the Inca Empire

Roughly translated, Cusco means "Centre of the Universe" and was the heart of the Inca Empire that stretched from present-day Ecuador to central Chile.

Its mind-bending ruins offer only a glimpse of the wonders that once existed in Cusco. The Temple of the Sun that the Santa Domingo Church is now built over was lined with gold, which caught the attention of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro who claimed rule in 1533.

Today, Cusco is two cities. The Spanish city of grand cathedrals and manicured palazzos, superimposed over the ancient Inca capital. Here and there, patches of Inca architecture are visible, including inexplicable mortarless stone walls built with such precision they leave modern engineers boggling. Each stone has a different shape and is perfectly sculpted to lock with the stones around them. The Inca's calculations were so exact, even a single sheet of paper will not fit between the stones.

Located in an alpine bowl at an altitude of 3400 metres, Cusco is the gateway to Machu Picchu. It is, however, a destination in its own right with a vibrant atmosphere created largely by the tourism industry. Cusco specializes in all things Peruvian including food, music, and arts and crafts. There are countless tourist shops selling everything from handmade bamboo flutes, to traditional pottery and beautiful woven blankets. The cafes are funky and full of local artwork, the restaurants offer the best in Peruvian cuisine (meat and rice or a guinea pig or two if you're not careful!) and traditional musicians busk in the central square.

The downside of all this trade is the harassment. Tourists are considered walking dollars and regularly treated as such. The local markets are hot-spots for gangs of thieves and many a Peruvian holiday has come to grief in the back streets of Cusco, so be careful.

On a more positive note, it's easy to organize a guide to walk the Inca Trail from Cusco, or book the train trip up to Aguas Caliente at the foot of Machu Picchu, or take the less travelled road by bus up the Sacred Valley of the Inca which leads again to Machu Picchu via some less-known but equally impressive ruins.

The best way to look around Cusco is to buy a Tourist Ticket, which gives you entrance to 16 sites of interest, including Sacsayhuaman (pronounced "sexy woman"), an impressive ruin complex built on a hill overlooking the city. The stone walls are in perfect condition up to a certain height and then they simply disappear. The Spanish plundered many of the Inca structures to build their own buildings. A tunnel system was discovered leading from the ruins to other significant Inca sites around Cusco. Many an early explorer vanished in the tunnels chasing lost treasures, which is why the authorities decided to close the main entrance.