The Incas established themselves all around Cusco including this once formidable fortress of Ollantaytambo. Strategically located at the north side of the Sacred Valley, the Ollantaytambo ruins are another example of the Inca's extraordinary and unique construction prowess. But unlike many other ruins, many two or three story houses were built.

Set on the Urubamba River amid snow-capped mountains, Ollantaytambo was a settlement conquered by Pachacuti, the 9th Inca King, and served as an important agricultural, military and religious center for the Inca Empire. Additionally, the village's old town is an Inca-era grid of cobblestoned streets and adobe buildings, and today serves as the train station for the rail ride to Machu Picchu.