-
Bust Of Ernest Hemingway
Next to the Torreón de Cojímar and framed by a neoclassical archway is a gilded bust of Ernest Hemingway erected by the residents of Cojímar in 1962. Hemingway came here regularly in the 1940s and 50s and moored his boat in the nearby harbor. His friend and sea captain, Gregorio Fuentes, lived in the green-and-white house at Calle 98 until 2002, when he died aged 101.
-
Cámara Oscura
Situated on the northwest corner of Plaza Vieja in the eye-catching Gómez Vila building, this fun old-town diversion provides 360-degree views of the city from a telescopic lens atop a 35m-tall tower. Sheets flap in the breeze, old cars amble by and the docent does an admirable job explaining Habana's architectural highlights in Spanish and English during a 10-minute 'virtual' tour.
-
Capitolio Nacional
Habana's most grandiose building, the Capitolio is similar to the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC, but taller and much richer in detail. It was initiated by Cuba's US-backed dictator Gerardo Machado in 1926 and took 5000 workers three years, two months and 20 days to build at a cost of around US$17 million. Once the seat of the Cuban Congress, it now houses the Cuban Academy of Sciences and the National Library of Science & Technology.
-
Catedral de San Cristóbal de la Habana
Dominated by two unequal towers and framed by a theatrical baroque facade designed in the style of Italian architect Francesco Borromini, Habana's graceful Catedral de San Cristóbal was once described by Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier as 'music set in stone'.
Pope John Paul II said one of his four Cuban Masses at the cathedral in January 1998 during a groundbreaking papal tour of the island.
-
Centro Gallego
It might look baroque, but the Centro Gallego, erected as a Galician social club in 1914, is a relatively modern 20th-century creation. The center, which contains myriad arcades, columns, balconies and sculptures, was built around the 1838 Teatro Tacón. This history is the basis of claims by the present 2000-seat Gran Teatro de la Habana that it's the oldest operating theater in the Western Hemisphere.
-
Colina Lenin
About 1.5km (1mi) from the ferry you'll see a high metal stairway that gives access to one of only two monuments in Habana to Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov, better known to his friends and enemies as Lenin. Conceived in 1924 (before onetime Soviet stooge Fidel Castro was even born) by the Socialist mayor of Regla, Antonio Borsch, the monument was created to honor Lenin's death, and was one of the first of its kind outside the USSR.
-
Edificio Bacardí
Finished in 1929, the magnificent Edificio Bacardí is a triumph of Art Deco architecture, with a host of lavish furnishings that somehow blend kitsch with cool. Hemmed in by other buildings, it's hard to get a full kaleidoscopic view of the structure from street level, though the opulent bell tower can be glimpsed from all over Habana. There's a bar in the lobby and for a few convertibles you can travel up to the tower for a bird's-eye view.
-
Edificio Focsa
Hard to miss on the Habana skyline, the modernist Focsa building was built between 1954 and 1956 in a record 28 months using pioneer computer technology. In 1999 it was listed as one of the seven modern engineering wonders of Cuba. With 39 floors housing 373 apartments, it was on its completion in June 1956 the second-largest concrete structure of its type in the world, constructed in its entirety without the use of cranes.
-
Edificio Santo Domingo
Habana's original university stood at this intersection from 1728 until 1902, after which it was moved to its present location in Vedado. It was housed in the now defunct Santo Domingo convent, a huge building commissioned in 1574 by Father Santo Domingo de Guzmán and altered radically to fit in with the new baroque style in 1777.
-
El Prado
Construction of this stately European-style boulevard (officially known as Paseo de Martí) began in 1770, and was completed in the mid-1830s during the term of Captain General Miguel Tacón. He also constructed the original Parque Central. The idea behind El Prado was to create in Habana a boulevard as splendid as any found in Paris, Florence or Madrid. The famous bronze lions that guard the central promenade at either end were added in 1928.
-
Advertisement
-
Estación Central De Ferrocarriles
Train-lovers will adore Cuba, the only country in the Caribbean with a fully functioning rail system. In 1837 it was the first place in Latin America (and the sixth in the world) to install a railway network. Built upon the ruins of an old shipyard with two renaissance-style towers, Habana's central station first opened its doors for business in 1912. The spacious waiting rooms and wide platforms have seen few alterations in the 100 years since.
-
Fuente de la India
Don't miss this white Carrara marble fountain, carved by Giuseppe Gaginni in 1837 for the count of Villanueva. Situated on a traffic island in front of the Hotel Saratoga, it portrays a regal indigenous woman adorned with a crown of eagles' feathers and seated on a throne surrounded by four gargoylesque dolphins.
-
Hotel Habana Libre
This classic modernist hotel - the former Havana Hilton - was commandeered by Castro and his triumphant revolutionaries in 1959, just nine months after it had opened, and promptly renamed the Habana Libre. During the first few months of the revolution, Fidel effectively ruled the country from a luxurious suite on one of the upper floors.
-
Instituto Superior de Arte
Cuba's leading art academy was established here in the former Habana Country Club in 1961, and elevated to the status of institute in 1976. This cluster of buildings, some unfinished, some half-restored, but all gloriously graceful due to the arches, domes and profuse use of red brick, was the brainchild of Che and a team of architects.
-
Lonja Del Comercio
This large box-shaped building is a former commodities market erected in 1909. In 1996 the building was completely renovated by Habaguanex and today it provides office space for foreign companies with joint ventures in Cuba. You can enter the Lonja to admire its central atrium and futuristic interior. It also houses the excellent cafe-restaurant El Mecurio, named after the bronze figure of the god Mercury that sits atop a dome on the roof.
-
Lopez Serrano Building
Resembling a miniature Empire State Building with the bottom 80 floors chopped off, the Lopez Serrano apartment building is Vedado's most distinctive Art Deco construction. Raised in 1932, it was the first skyscraper in a two-decade-long Habana love affair with the buildings.
-
Ministerio del Interior
The ugly concrete block on the northern side of the Plaza de la Revolución is famous for its huge mural of Che Guevara, a copy of Alberto Korda's famous 1960 photograph, with the words Hasta la Victoria Siempre (Always toward Victory) emblazoned underneath. The mural was fitted in 1995 on the side wall of the Ministry of the Interior, where Che once kept an office.
-
Monumento a Julio Antonio Mella
At the bottom of the university's famous escalinata (stairway) lies a monument to the student leader who founded the first Cuban Communist Party in 1925. In 1929, Cuban dictator Machado had Mella assassinated in Mexico City. More interesting than the monument itself are the black-and-white Mella portraits permanently mounted in the wall in the little park across San Lázaro.
-
Old City Wall
At the southern end of Av de Bélgica, close to the railway station, lies the longest remaining stretch of the old city wall. The wall, which was designed to deter attacks from pirates and buccaneers, was begun in 1674 and took over 60 years to build. On its completion, it measured 1.5m thick, 10m high and 5km long. A bronze map at the remnants of the wall shows the outline of the original layout.
-
Palacio Cueto
Habana's finest Art Nouveau building was constructed in 1906, based on the designs of architect Arturo Márquez and exhibits distinct Gaudí-esque features. Its outrageously ornate facade housed a warehouse and a hat factory before it was rented by a Señor José Cueto as the Palacio Vienna hotel a decade or so later. The property has been empty and unused since the early '90s, but Habaguanex has pledged to restore the property as a period hotel.
-
Advertisement
-
Palacio de las Convenciones
The Habana Convention Center is one of Cuba's most dramatic modern buildings. Built for the Nonaligned Conference in 1979, the four interconnecting halls contain an auditorium with 2101 seats, and there are also 11 smaller halls. The 589-member National Assembly meets here twice a year.
-
Palacio de los Capitanes Generales
This former palace is one of Cuba's most majestic baroque buildings. Dating from the late 1770s, it has served many purposes over the years. From 1791 until 1898, it was the residence of the Spanish captains general. From 1899 until 1902, the US military governors were based here, and during the first two decades of the 20th century the building briefly became the presidential palace. Since 1968 it has been home to the Museo de la Ciudad.
-
Palacio de los Condes de Santovenia
Habaguanex' five-star Hotel Santa Isabel is an historic building in its own right and a former stately palace of the counts of Santovenia. It dates from the 1780s and was converted into a luxurious hotel in 1867, making it one of Habana's oldest hotels. Habaguanex gave the place a much needed makeover in the 1990s, which was good enough for ex-US president Jimmy Carter, who stayed here during his groundbreaking 2002 visit.
-
Palacio del Marqués de Arcos
Completed in 1746, this luxurious former residential mansion is a perfect example of a typical Spanish-American colonial house, with a spacious main room with a wide staircase that hugs two walls as it winds up to the 2nd floor. Five arcades of Doric columns adorn the ground floor and lovely porticoes above the arcades overlook the square. The main entrance to the building is on Calle Mercaderes.
-
Palacio del Segundo Cabo
Constructed in 1772, this is the former headquarters of the Spanish vice-governor. It has also acted as a post office, the palace of the Senate, the nation's Supreme Court, the National Academy of Arts & Letters, and the seat of the Cuban Geographical Society. Today most of the building is used by the Instituto Cubano del Libro and houses a well-stocked bookstore. Architectural buffs should check out the lovely inner courtyard.
