Essentials: Buenos Aires

1) In 2003 the local government decided that the new metro line should become a cultural tango tour of Argentina's capital. As a result, each station on the H line was decorated in memory of a tango personality. 

2) The Jardín Japonés – in the Palermo district – is one of the largest Japanese gardens outside Japan, covering more than 20,000 square meters. 

3) Pope Francis, the first pontifex from South America, worked as a bouncer in a nightclub in Buenos Aires. This is how he financed his studies.

4) Safety first! On December 1, 2005 - World AIDS Day – a 67-meter condom was placed on the Obelisk.

5) These capital city dwellers love their books. With around 20 bookshops per 100,000 residents, Buenos Aires is one of the cities worldwide with the most such stores per capita. Worth a visit is the El Ateneo Grand Splendid, which was once a magnificent theater and now offers over 120,000 books for sale in the same ambience.