The mountain
Above the city.
Jbmurray — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mhwater at Dutch Wikipedia — Public domain · Eduardo Manchon — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Christophe Meneboeuf — CC BY-SA 2.5
A red-and-brown conical mountain rising above Potosí, whose name means «Rich Mountain», as it supplied the Spanish Empire with vast quantities of silver from the sixteenth century, said to be most of the Andes' colonial silver, and the city was built on its wealth. But the wealth had a terrible human cost: hundreds of thousands of indigenous people worked its tunnels as forced labour under the mita system, then enslaved Africans, and many died in harsh conditions. Thousands of miners still work it today in cooperatives with simple tools, and the mountain has been hollowed from within. Companies in Potosí offer tours inside working tunnels with former miners, but the experience is genuinely dangerous: narrow shafts, dust, gases, explosives and heat, unsuitable for anyone with breathing problems or claustrophobia. Many prefer to view the mountain from the city. The finest view is from the city's rooftops and lookouts at sunset, when it glows red. Bolivia is under a state of emergency with protests and road blockades, so check road conditions and your government's travel advice before the trip.
Above the city.
Silver and forced labour.
A red glow.
South of Potosí city
They remain risky because of narrow shafts, dust, gases and explosives, are unsuitable for people with breathing problems, and many just view the mountain.