COLONIA DEL SACRAMENTO:

Current location: click here

Being a small country, Uruguay has a history that is often related to wars against or between external powers. Colonia del Sacramento, one of the oldest towns in the country is just an example. Founded in 1680 by Manuel Lobo (Portugal) the settlement was conquered by the Spanish who settled on the opposite bank of the river at Buenos Aires. 
The colony  returned to Portugal the next year. It was conquered again by the Spanish in 1705, but given back in the Treaty of Utrecht. It kept changing hands from crown to crown due to treaties, being later incorporated into Brazil after 1816, when the entire Banda Oriental (Uruguay) was seized by the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brasil and the Algarves. Uruguay's independence in 1828 put an end to this.

Today, Colonia (as people called it) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Despite all wars and occupations, the city's core has preserved some of its initial buildings. Its good preservation, history and location on the Rio de la Plata shore facing Buenos Aires has made it an important touristic attraction.