Havana is not only the capital of the state, but also a beautiful city, a city of contrasts. It harmoniously coexists modern buildings and ancient architecture, long embankments and small city squares hidden from view between houses. All of them make up the sights of Havana. And all of them require more detailed familiarization. So, let's begin.
Capitol
Perhaps the description of the sights of Havana should start with the Capitol. Despite the fact that it has a completely traditional look, looking at it immediately recalls the other Capitol, which is not so far away. Naturally, this refers to the building in which the US Congress is located.
The Havana Capitol is about three times larger than its counterpart in North America, which gives the people of Cuba a significant reason for pride. Since its construction in 1928, for thirty years, the Cuban parliament has been housed in it. It is currently used as a Congress Center and is available for visits. In addition, it houses the Ministry of Science, a museum of history and a library.
Cathedral
The next in the list of Havana's attractions is the Cathedral. Images of this monumental structure are decorated with all tourist guides. It can be found on postcards and stamps, on fridge magnets and various souvenirs. And rightfully so. The colorful baroque colonial-style building made of stone slabs is called the Havana decoration. It is located in Piazza Cienago and enjoys well-deserved fame not only in Cuba. Proof of this is the fact that this cathedral is recognized as one of the UNESCO sites.
Old Havana
Under the general name Old Havana is meant the historical center of this city with amazing architectural structures, many monuments in cozy streets and squares. Here are many of the attractions of Havana, photos of which subsequently adorn the albums of even the most demanding tourists from all over the Earth. Many of them visit Old Havana not only in order to take a selfie against the backdrop of ancient architecture, but also for the opportunity to sit on the porch of a small cafe watching the life boiling around and imagining how the first Spanish settlers moved along these streets many years ago.
Undoubtedly, the main attractions of Old Havana are: the colorful square of Catedral de san Cristobal, decorated in the Cuban Baroque style, the fortress of La Fuersa and the Plaza Vieja and Plaza de Armas. If you wish, you can climb the Obscura Camera tower thirty-five meters high, from where the city is clearly visible and, going down, go to the La Bodegita del Media bar. In some of these places below we will dwell in more detail.
Prado Boulevard
One of the main streets of Havana, on which life boils around the clock, is rightfully considered Prado Boulevard. The quiet dimension of the day with artists and souvenir sellers is replaced by a bustling nightlife with songs and dances until the very morning. Quite conditionally, Prado Boulevard can be divided into four parts: Central Park, the promenade, the Capitoline Esplanade, and the Fraternidad park complex.
Hemingway House Museum
The indisputable decoration of the capital of Cuba is the house-museum of one of the greatest writers, a journalist, a Nobel laureate in literature known far beyond the borders of the island. Of course, this is Ernest Hemingway, the author of the story "The Old Man and the Sea." The house-museum is located in a small two-story building located in a lush garden. From it you can enjoy the view of the coast, so that the house has another name "House with a view." This house, built by a Spanish architect, has been the writer's home for twenty years.
Malecon Embankment
The heart of Havana can rightly be called the Malecon embankment. In this very interesting place, the most important historical sights and monuments coexist quite harmoniously with the fashionable Miramar Hotel. It is on this embankment that the famous carnival takes place in February. Cuban ensembles play here and locals mix with tourists.
Fortress of La Fuers
If we consider both the American continent, then one of the oldest defensive structures located in the city harbor is the Havana fortress of La Fuers, built in 1558. Despite the fact that during the period of its existence, it has survived countless raids by pirates, today it is in excellent condition. Now there is a maritime museum.
Plaza de Armas
The next attraction of Havana is the Plaza de Armas, preserved from the sixteenth century. Initially, the Spanish colonialists used it for celebrations. They built such squares in all major cities. Later, proud Cubans, very zealously protecting their freedom, erected a monument to the freedom fighter Manuel Cespedes behind the square. Colonial buildings lined with coral limestone enclose the perimeter of the square.
Museum of the Revolution
The time has come from the description of the ancient attractions of Ciudad de la Havana, which is translated from Spanish as “the city of Havana” to move to a more modern one. The most significant of them is, perhaps, the Museum of the Revolution. The fact is that many Cubans are still quite reverent about the revolution, especially the older generation. And for many inhabitants of the Earth, the association, which first comes to mind at the word Cuba, is a revolution. Previously, the museum building served as the presidential palace. The museum’s collection itself includes over 9,000 exhibits related to the struggle for independence from Spain: weapons, letters, clothing and photographs.
Colon Cemetery
Another interesting place to visit in Havana is the Columbus Cemetery, better known as the Colon Cemetery. On an area of just under sixty hectares, Cubans, who gained great fame during their lifetime: cultural figures, politicians and athletes, are buried. But, of course, not only this is the reason for a sufficiently large fame. The fact is that many graves in the Colon cemetery are decorated with beautiful sculptures and memorials. Perhaps the most famous among them is a memorial twenty-three meters high, dedicated to firefighters who gave their lives in the fight against fire in May 1890.
As an afterword
In principle, to see the sights of Havana on your own is not such an incredible undertaking, but, if you wish, you can use the services of numerous local guides. And there is a chance to drive on a fairly old car, of which there are a large number. They can also be entered in the sights of Havana and Cuba as a whole.
These are not all the interesting places of Havana that are worth visiting to plunge into the history of the island from the first Spanish colonialists to the present day. It is enough to move a little away from the bustling center and take a little walk along the historical streets to absorb the spirit of freedom that the islanders are so famous for and, perhaps, to discover their personal, previously unexplained landmark of Havana.