When coming to Mendoza, many guests at the Diplomatic Hotel choose urban sightseeing tours for their holiday schedule. Mendoza city has lots of extraordinary attractions to offer, from fine and exclusive restaurants and wineries, to beautiful parks and squares. One of the most interesting things to do is visiting the Cerro de la Gloria, where the monument to pay tribute to the Army of the Andes is placed. This 14 tons memorial can be reached through the entrance at San Martín Park, the most significant green area in the whole city. Indicating signs have been laid to guide the visitors on their way to the monument.

The road to San Martín Park is not far from the Diplomatic Hotel. Along the path to the Cerro de la Gloria, tourists can appreciate some water fountains, framed by blossoming vegetation. A crooked trail to the hill shows up after the route goes up. This road leads to the Greek theater, where Grape Harvest Festival is held every March. The bronze monument can be already seen. It was made by a Uruguayan artist, to honor the Army of the Andes and their struggle to free Chile, Argentina and Peru. This magnificent masterpiece was built in three main stages. As a first step, the sculptor constructed an incomplete tower. Then, the friezes were located and, at last, the top of the statue was put in place with the aid of pulleys. The stones used in this monument were brought from Uspallata, in the high mountains of Mendoza.

During the sightseeing, it is strongly recommended to watch the monument from the left to the right, in order to note every little detail. On the top, General San Martín looks at estancia Canota, where the troops are heading to the mountains. His face shows a considerate expression and his horse has its four hooves on the ground, meaning that the Liberator died at an old age. Friar Luis Beltrán, is represented, as well. He was in charge of the guns and cannons transportation. The Patricias were high society women who donated their jewelry to the army. And, finally, on the upper part, stays Freedom, thanking to the Father of the Nation and his Army for such heroic struggle.

After such a moving and revealing experience, the tourists return to the Diplomatic Hotel, and they keep on talking for days about this extraordinary piece of work and the magic of the surrounding nature.