San Miguel de  Allende's tree shaded plaza, dominated by an unusual neo-Gothic parish church,  is a touch of the Left Bank. The plaza is the heart of a cosmopolitan town with a colonial setting, so strikingly lovely in its architecture that it has been  designated a national monument. Its many beautifully restored colonial homes  house delightful small hotels, excellent little restaurants, and fine shops.

In addition to the visitors who come to enjoy the town's beauty, climate and colorful fiestas, students of all ages come to study art, painting, weaving, sculpting,  photography and Spanish.

All this makes the city a fascinating place to spend a few hours, a few days or a few weeks. There is no other place in Mexico quite like it.

Less than four hours northwest of Mexico City, and best reached by car or bus, San Miguel is  nestled in the heart of the colonial highlands, Mexico's Independence Country.  Its name honors Ignacio Allende, a leader in the war to gain independence from Spain.

The parish church, La Parroquia, has long set the town apart from its neighbors. Legend has it that  the builder, Ceferino Gutierrez, was inspired by a European postcard and, sketching outlines in the sand, set his workers to building a Mexican-Indian version of a Gothic cathedral. The result is a mass of pink spires poking into  the blue sky.