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The Basilica of the National Vow (Basílica del Voto Nacional), a huge church built in 1926, is located in the UNESCO World Heritage listed historic city center of Quito. It’s the largest neo-Gothic church in the Americas.
The Basilica
It costs US$2 for foreigners (as of August 2023) to enter the cavernous building. There are some very nice stained glass windows and a nice chapel behind the altar.
Climbing the Tower
If I were you, I’d save your money and pay the US$4 (as of August 2023) to climb the church’s tower. The entrance is outside underneath the clock towers. This was one of the best experiences we had in Quito. On the first level we climbed to, we were treated to a fantastic perspective of the interior of the building.
On the next level, after walking through a large gift shop, we got to see a nice view of the historic city.
From there, it was a long walk across rickety wooden planks to a very steep stairway.
Once up the first stairway, there was another one out in the open air that led to a small tower at the very top. I climbed it, Marisol did not.
From the tower, I had one of the best views of Quito and a unique look at the church. One thing I noticed was that the clocks were both set to different times. I’m not sure if there’s any significance to it or not.
