The pleasant colonial city of Sucre is known as "La Ciudad Blanca" because of its whitewashed buildings and is considered by many to be the administrative capital of Bolivia, still housing the Supreme Court. It has a more relaxed atmosphere than La Paz and has only one tenth of its population. The centre of the city has been preserved as a classic Spanish colonial town with many buildings dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries such as the Casa de la Libertad, the Cathedral and one of the earliest South American universities founded in 1624.
Potosi
The mining city of Potosi is about 3 hours away by road from Sucre. The discovery of silver and tin in the 16th century led to the rapid expansion of Potosi which became at one time, the largest city in the Americas. However the late 20th century collapse in these commodities has left a poor community with dwindling prospects, high in the Andes.
You’ll find that much of the city is still colonial, with twisting streets and an atmosphere of decayed grandeur in the odd great mansion. Declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, it has an abundance of churches. The Mint and the Cerro Rico mine itself are well worth a visit.