Havana is a beautiful city bursting with history and friendly locals. Check out Ernest Hemingway's room at Hotel Ambos Mundos, which remains as it was when the famous author lived there in the 1930s. Many visitors enjoy sipping mojitos at Bodeguita del Medio and studying the celebrity signatures on the walls. There's more than architecture to appreciate in Old Havana. You're invited to shop, drink cafecitos, and browse art galleries on the narrow cobblestone Bishop Street. The arches and stain glass windows in the many unique Old Square buildings are photo-worthy.

The Castle of the Royal Force now holds a museum where you can see the original La Giraldilla weathervane figure. The Square of Arms is Havana's oldest square and connects all of Old Havana's oldest streets. Capitol.Īdmire the 1777 Havana Cathedral with its asymmetrical bell towers. People compare this stately building to the Pantheon and the U.S. Directions in Havana are given with distances measured from El Capitolio. El Capitolio, or the National Capital Building, is the heart of Old Havana. The historic city has five squares filled with gorgeous Baroque and neoclassical architecture. Old Havana is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the 1600s, Havana was a major shipbuilding port. Havana became a major stopping point between the newly discovered Americas and ancient Europe. After French pirate Jacques de Sores ransacked the city in 1555, the Castle of the Royal Force was built to protect the city.

The old havana