Palacio Postal (Correo Mayor)

The Palacio Postal is the most beautiful post office in the world — a Venetian Gothic and Spanish Renaissance palace completed in 1907 that was designed to make the act of buying stamps feel like visiting a cathedral. The interior is a symphony of golden brass, wrought iron, Italian marble, carved wood, and a double staircase that rises through the building like something from a European opera house. It is still a functioning post office, which means you can buy stamps and mail a postcard from a building that belongs in a museum.

The building was designed by Italian architect Adamo Boari (who also designed Bellas Artes across the street) and completed during the Porfiriato — the 35-year dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz, who modernised Mexico City's infrastructure while suppressing political freedom, and whose taste for European grandeur produced many of the city's most spectacular buildings. The Palacio Postal is the finest example of Porfirian architecture in the city — every surface is worked, every railing is ornate, and the light fixtures, elevator doors, and even the postal counters are designed with a level of craft that makes modern architecture look lazy.

The building sits on Eje Central, directly across from Bellas Artes, and most visitors walk past without entering. Inside, the main hall — two storeys of brass railings, marble floors, and the original postal sorting infrastructure preserved as decorative elements — is free to enter and usually empty of tourists. It's the best free architectural experience in the Centro Histórico, and mailing a postcard from the ornate counters is one of the few times that a practical errand doubles as a cultural experience.