Machu Picchu, often called the "Lost City of the Incas," is believed to have been an active religious center and royal retreat, built by the Incan kind Pachacuti during the height of the Incan Empire (about five centuries before present).  It is located approximately 80 km northwest of Cusco, Perú, 400 m above the meandering Urubamba River, in an Andean cloud forest.  The name, which means “old peak,” was given to this place by Hiram Bingham, the American who discovered the city in 1911.  Because of its remote location, Machu Picchu was never discovered by the Spanish, unlike many Incan buildings around Cusco which are now in ruin.  The city is filled with beautifully constructed stone buildings, most of which have been so carefully assembled that one could not fit a razor blade between the perfectly-fit stones.
 

Machu Picchu, with Hayana Picchu in background
 

Alice with llamas at Machu Picchu
 

On top of Hayana Picchu
 

View of the Urubamba River from Machu Picchu