Tourist Attractions & Monuments Togo

It is the original place where the fetish priests met. The two cheese trees, one representing the male principle and the other the female principle, are surrounded by white cloths that make the place sacred. It is here that ceremonies are held to celebrate the birth of several children from the same birth. This ritual takes place on the eighth day of birth. And the belief says that any pregnant woman passing near this place can give birth to twins!

An interesting little museum with a section devoted to the chieftaincies and traditions of Togo through its peoples, culture, religion and art. On display are traditional suitcases; costumes worn for dances such as Djouka or Adossa; tam-tams carved from shea tree trunks for urgent meetings or important events; flutes decorated with earrings and necklaces for admirers; cooking utensils; mats and bamboo raffia baskets..

Bordering Benin, it is a very lively market where cultural mixing is permanent. Veiled Muslim women in brightly colored tunics, Fulani women with eyes highlighted with kohl and wearing their gri-gri around their neck. So many colors, contrasts and richness. The market is frequented by the Kotokoli, the Tchamba, the Kabyé and the Peul, who are numerous in the region. If you look hard enough, you will find some handicrafts, notably pyrographed calabashes. Tchamba is without question one of the most beautiful rural markets in the region.

One should not expect a sumptuous palace, it is a simple residence in the heart of the Galapè district. When the king is present, it is possible to meet him. Otherwise, his descendants organize a short guided tour during which they tell the story of King Mlapa III, who signed the treaty annexing Togo to Germany with the explorer Nachtigal. The house houses the royal throne on which the king's descendant still administers justice every Saturday morning. In the courtyard are the remains of a German cannon.

The national park, with an area of 192 000 ha, has beautiful forest galleries and fertile plains. It houses buffalo, antelopes, bubales, cobs, warthogs, etc. It is also a sanctuary of birds and reptiles (crocodiles of the Nile) and other species.

Kamina is a historical site from the German era where the radio that linked Togo to Berlin in 1914 was installed. You can see the ruins as well as some German observation towers. A vast underground network linked them together and to the governor's house. It was here that the Germans surrendered to the Allies in August 1917. Today the ruins are lost in the fields. The villagers are the ones who ensure the visit. Near the grave of a German non-commissioned officer, an information plaque, unfortunately almost erased.

The Apoto craft complex is a training and production center for works of art. It is essentially made up of young artisans gathered in a cooperative since 1996. In the exhibition gallery, you can see the most beautiful objects made in the traditional way. Various items are made from batik, sculpture, dyeing, wrought iron, leatherwork, basketry, and many other art making techniques. If you have a crush, be firm in your negotiations!

Located in the background of the Palais des Congrès, this museum features a small collection of ethnographic and historical items reflecting Togolese culture as a whole. A few tools, statues and jewelry are displayed in the first room, while the second room below traces the history of the colonies, the battle for its borders and the country's independence. The museum was created in 1950 from documents and exhibits from the Kponton Museum, and inaugurated much later, in the 1970s. In need of renovation. Fascinating guide.

The former International Museum of the Gulf of Guinea was taken over by collector Ching Heng Cheng, who supplemented the collection with other African works. It houses several masterpieces of African art in three exhibition halls: royal thrones, statuettes and masks from the Ivory Coast, Congo, Gabon, Benin, Nigeria, including a 2,000-year-old Nok statue, and rare pieces of Ashanti jewelry from Ghana. Professional guides.

Long abandoned, the former Governors' Palace has been transformed into a cultural complex showcasing the best of African creativity. A pioneer in West Africa, this art and culture center offers a rich program of exhibitions, live shows (dance, storytelling, theater, concerts...), master classes and literary cafés. It also houses two restaurants, one of which is gourmet, a souvenir store and a bookstore.

The palace is surrounded by a magnificent botanical garden of 11 hectares, home to about 50,000 plants and 40 species of birds. It offers a pleasant journey through the diverse landscapes of Togo, punctuated by beautiful contemporary sculptures. There are also two beehives, containing two types of bees: Apis mellifera adansonii and melipona.

The old Governor's Palace was built from 1898 to 1905 under the technical direction of the German engineer Furtkamp, following the decision of Governor August Kohler - the one who established Lomé as the capital of Togo - to build a fairly representative palace that would be recognizable from a distance of a thousand kilometers in order to impress the ships. Used as the seat of the state until 1970, the palace was transformed into the "Palace of Distinguished Guests" from 1976 to 1991, then as the seat of the primacy in September 1991. It suffered damage as a result of the socio-political unrest of 1990-1991. The building is on the list of monuments proposed to the World Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Musical instrument that works with the resonance of several cut stones, played in northern Togo. Evalo stones (Farandé), initiation stones that are collected in the Kabye mountains. The particularity of this music is that it is played in the pentatonic mode, which offers a melodious, rhythmic and varied sound. To pass from theeware classto the evala class, the young kabyé must lift it like a dumbbell. Its weight is about 20 to 25 kg. The lithophone is located in the dispensary of Farandé.

About 22 km from Kouméa, in the extension of the old colonial road, is the Kozah dam which has been supplying water to the entire region since 1978. The dam offers a splendid view of the villages of Kouméa, Pya and Tcharé. You can also see some caimans, around 9am and 4pm. Work is currently underway to increase the water capacity and meet all the demands of the region. By 2025, the government's goal is to supply at least 95% of the Togolese population.

Mostly a women's activity, traditional pottery is made entirely by hand. Women use their hands to sculpt the clay into the desired shape. Once the clay has been sculpted, the pottery is dried in the sun, then fired on the ground. The products are mainly utilitarian items, which are then sold at nearby markets. The women have formed a group and use the tontine system (microcredit). They display and sell their products in their small store.

This monument was erected in memory of the indigenous people who fought the French colonizers with simple bows and arrows and died for the independence of Togo on June 21, 1957. Since 2021, this day has been declared a holiday, with pay, throughout the country. It is now known as Martyrs' Day. Commemorations are held in the country. The grid surrounding the monument is decorated with traditional swords with which these indigenous people were armed.

The Faune wildlife reserve is located in the prefectures of Tchaoudjo and Assoli. A horse on the central regions and Kara, the area of Aledjo is bounded to the north by the village Kpéwa, to the south by the village Alehéridè, to the east by the Kpéwa - Kadara trail and on the west side by Efolo village and atypical localities. The Faune wildlife reserve is a natural area of 765 ha that is involved in the conservation of biological diversity, the protection of local geological and physiographic formations. It is part of the classified forests and proudly shows an admirable relief and a very varied vegetation with, in its heart, a fault - the "Faille Fault" - resulting from the effort of the man who has managed to make a motorized road through such a huge natural rock.

Notable plant formations are dry dense forests of mountains, clear forests in Isoberlinia, Anogeissus, Chlorophora excelsa, Voacanga funtumia. They offer an exceptional aesthetic landscape.

Wildlife is made up of small mammals, mainly primates. Three species are observed among which cynocéphales (baboons), patas and callitrices. Small taille (antelopes) in this case, harnachés harnachés and Grimm's céphalophes inhabit the forest galleries in place. Birds and reptiles also form part of this wildlife diversity.

At the level of flora, four vegetation facies are distinguished:

The semi-deciduous forests, characterized by forests-galleries with species such as Anogeissus leocarpus, of very large size, as well as species such as Khaya, Vitex spp, Cola cordifolia, etc.

Clear forests with species such as Afzelia africana, doka doka, Terminalia spp, etc.

Woody savanes, the most representative species of which are Prosopis africana, Bauhinia thoninguii, Gardenia rubenius, Alata lenceolata.

Degraded savanes, composed of species of the genus Hymenocardia acida, Nauclea latifolia, Alata lenceolata.

There are also forbs species in forbs species, including Scoparius gayanus, Adenodolichos paniculatum, and Pennissetum purpureum.

Wild fauna includes: the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), the buffalo (Sincerus caffer), major major (Alcelaphus buselaphus major), hippotrague (Hippotragus equinus), bongo (Tragelaphus euryceros), magistrats or white and black colobes magistrats, black colobes (Colobus polykomos), baboons (Papio anubis), suidés (Phacochoerus aethiopicus and L meinertzhageni). Reptiles include varans (Varanus niloticus, Varanus exanthematicus), python sebae, etc.

The district of Xétsiavi has two very beautiful fetishes. The female fetish is located on the convent square. Its mission is to watch over the protection of children. Just in front of it is a sacred stone that has the power to stop the rain. To do this, the inhabitants must make offerings and pour gin, red oil and a mixture of water and corn on the stone. A little further on is the male fetish, which heals and makes the rain fall. In the Galapé neighborhood, the fetish of the neighborhood can be seen, to which sacrifices are offered.

Right by the lake is the village square where voodoo ceremonies are held in September. According to tradition, in order to chase away the evil spirits from their homes, the inhabitants swept their houses and placed the rubbish in a corn leaf, which was then thrown out of the town. The square is also used for traditional judgements. It is said to be charged with such a mystical force that it would annihilate all powers. It was in this square that slaves were gathered to be sold and sent to the colonial empires.

World Heritage of UNESCO.

Ito's reserve covers the Oti River valley over 1 878,40 km ². It is bordered to the north with Burkina Faso and to the east with Benin; to the west, it is limited by the old Mango - Borgou - Mandouri road. Crossed by the national road 1 Lomé - Cinkasé (Burkina Faso border), the Kéran National Park is on horseback in the Savanes region (Oti prefecture) and the Kara region (Kéran Prefecture). It covers about 1 700 km ². In the north-east, there is the people of Island-Gam and, in the west, the cantons of Koumongou and Takpamba. The main species visible in Kéran are warthog, the Cynomolgus cob, buffalo, the Grimm's cynocéphale, hypotrague, bubale, and elephant, which began returning from the W.

There are still some buildings in Sokodé dating from the German colonial period. They are concentrated around the prefecture: residence of the prefect, prefecture, buildings of the technical high school... The German powder magazine is one of the sites not to be missed. It is located on a hill behind the camp of Sokodé. Built after 1887, it is composed of a rampart built of dry stones solidly laid out one on top of the other and surrounding a tin-covered storehouse where weapons and ammunition were kept.

Here is a reference center for handicrafts in the prefecture of Tchaoudjo. It was founded in 1989 under the leadership of the Togolese government and the European Development Fund. It is a place of training, production and sale of traditional fabrics. Togolese weaving techniques are perpetuated here in the respect of traditions. It is possible to visit the weaving places where you can appreciate the craftsmen at work. Souvenir store.

It is a small center for art training: painting, batik and creation on calabash. The artist Félix Kouhan Tiyouma was trained at the famous center of Kpalimé before teaching there for a while. Driven by the desire to undertake, he resigned to create this artistic center in Sokodé. Today, he shares his passion, within the cultural center, with several students of the region. He works in collaboration with three visual artists and his wife.

Archaeological excavations have uncovered pavements dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. These were protected in the enclosure of a small building. The four pavements, with an inlaid cup in the middle, are made up of shards of pottery broken up into different shapes, each of which appears to form a circular structure. This would be a place of worship for the ancient inhabitants of Notsé. Remains of bones were found under the central cup, which reinforces the idea of the ritual character of the place.

From the Aledjo fault, a nice hike of about 5 hours leads through beautiful landscapes to the Rock of Death, commonly called Kazaliya in Kotokoli language. From the top, one can contemplate a superb view of the Aledjo mountains and the Mono plain. According to the legend, the evil sorcerers were thrown from the top of the cliff. Only one sorcerer would have escaped the ordeal three times, by transforming himself into a bird of prey at the moment he was thrown into the void.

It is necessary to ask for an audience with the chief of Kparatao to be able to visit the place. It is preferable at this level to be accompanied by a guide who knows the habits and customs. The chief still reigns over the Tem, which are spread over Benin, Togo and Ghana. He settles many social conflicts and administers justice. He will entrust you to a guide who will open the doors of the houses where the tombs of the warriors and some antiquities of the time are located.

Traditional weaving on crafts. A not to be missed.

Remains of the colonial house of a former German officer named Jesko von Puttkammer. It was named Misa after the Hungarian princess Misa von Esterházy, with whom he was in love. The Governor's house offers a splendid view of Kpalimé and the German cemetery where the grave of Ernst Baumann, a German scientist, is located. You will find local guides on site who can tell you about the history of this building. If you wish to visit the cemetery, you will need to ask the guides for permission.

The Benedictine Abbey of Danyi-Dzogbégan was founded in 1963 by the Abbey of En Calcat in Dourgne, France. Today, about thirty monks live there daily. The chapel of the monastery is a small architectural masterpiece in the region. Built of circular wood with a mosaic floor of Kpalimé stone, it is covered with an equally remarkable mahogany frame. Entirely built of local materials and renovated in 2016, it is the meeting point for prayers that one can "visit", or rather contemplate. Around the chapel are the rooms of the brothers living here. Two buildings are reserved for guests who wish to spend the night. One can book a night or two, alone or with family, one is always welcomed but let us remember that this place is not a simple hotel but a place of meditation. The acres of vegetable gardens and the farm demonstrate the autonomy of the place. Between prayers, the brothers are busy producing spices, essential oils, coffee and other products that have become famous throughout the country. The production workshops and stills are closed to the public but you will find all the products in the store at the entrance of the monastery: Robusta coffee (they produce about 7 tons per year), honey (about one ton per year), cinnamon, peppermint and very concentrated essential oils, sometimes supplied to pharmaceutical laboratories.

The BEC Association was created to work for the protection and enhancement of natural and cultural resources and to involve communities in the development of their environment. Its activities are oriented towards education, health, the environment, and tourism, which is the main source of income for the association to carry out its development activities. Some of the benefits associated with tourism activities are returned to the Village Development Committee of Tomegbe. The association also proposes the discovery of the region's customs and customs: visit to the traditional chef, dance and percussion show.

Covering nearly 15,000 ha along the southern slopes of the Togo Mountains, this forest offers a remarkable biodiversity, one of the richest in Togo. You can see while walking there tree species such as iroko, mahogany, frake, cordia, giant yucca and many other tropical trees. Birds are also numerous: bulbul, Senegal coucal, kingfishers, parrots... as well as insects such as beetles, lepidopterans and moths.

Built during the Second World War by the French lawyer Raymond François Viale, the presidential castle nestles on the Kloto mountain at an altitude of 700 meters. It offers a magnificent view of the surrounding green nature. It was refurbished from 1979 to 1982 as a presidential residence and was extended with the construction of a wing for ministerial suites. Today, the castle is almost abandoned, but the Togolese state plans in the near future to renovate it.

A former refuge during tribal wars, this cave is now called the "Bat Cave" because of the abundance of these mammals in this place. The presence of these animals dissuaded the Ashanti warriors from seeking out more of their Ewe enemies; as a reward for this protection, the local populations prohibited the consumption of bats. This site can be reached after a twenty-minute walk from the village of Kouma-Adamé.

There are several markets held almost every day in and around the city of Pya. Pya-Hodo, Tcharé (very nice, and lively from 2pm) on Mondays; Pya, Kouméa, Tchitchao on Fridays. You can find a little bit of everything, from vegetables to dog meat, from cereals to loincloths. In some cases, you will have to negotiate prices. The market in Tcharé is famous for its items made by the blacksmiths of Wiyamdé and the potters of Tcharé. The late morning is perfect for strolling through these markets and soaking up the local atmosphere.

To reach the waterfall of Amegapé, departure from Kpalimé to Kouma Kounda, Blifou and Amegapé by 4x4 (about 1 hour journey) or by Adéta and Danyi (road to Atakpamé). The walk to the waterfall takes about 45 minutes. Access is not always easy, especially in the rainy season, and the walk is somewhat strenuous, given the slope. The show, on the other hand, is at the rendez-vous at the edge of the waterfall. Return to Kpalimé through the villages of Amegapé, Dzobégan, Danyi (visit of the Benedictine monastery) and Adéta.

Also known as the green waterfall, the Gbaledze waterfall at Kpene Tsavié is one of Togo's must-see waterfalls. You can swim and picnic in the shade of the trees. Access is via a path through lush greenery. You have to climb a little to reach the second, deeper basin, which impresses with its powerful waterfall. You can visit a cave along the way. The village offers a pleasant place to relax and unwind.

Paul Ahyi (1930-2010) is a pioneering visual artist in Togo. He is the creator of the Togolese flag and of the country's Independence monument. He is known for his monumental works, many of which can be seen on the streets of the capital. Today, a museum pays tribute to him in the house that he himself had imagined. The portal sets the tone with its two imposing faces of a couple. Inside, a permanent exhibition takes us into the world of Paul Ahyi. This place is also a center of artistic awakening for the youngest.

For a unique, life-size experience in the shaping and decoration of traditional pottery, using ancestral know-how. The women go deep into the bush, digging deep holes to extract quality clay. They then make the pottery entirely by hand, before using a snail shell for the finishing touches. There's also the folklore of carrying the pottery on their heads to market in Tsévié.

Once reserved for the personal hunting of President Gnassingbé Eyadema, the 530-hectare reserve has been reopened to the public since 2009. In the Sarakawa reserve, visitors can enjoy a game drive with a guide, to see 12 types of animal, 4 of which are imported from South Africa. Zebra, cob, hartebeest, wildebeest, eland and many other species can easily be spotted... The other associated park, Djamdè, with its 17 hectares, also boasts a wealth of wildlife.

The place is known to shelter impressive swarms of bats, between September and May. The spectacle fascinates at the end of the day, when the bats, hung on the trees, fly in mass in the sky, in a big hubbub. However, we regret the tourist side of the site, with guides hitting the tree trunks to scare them and satisfy the visitors. Beautiful walks are also possible in the heart of this green valley.

Near the border of Benin, the Mono valley offers a very beautiful biodiversity. You can see many hippos, especially in the big pit near Tokpli. Many villages are nestled on the banks of the river, among palm plantations, fields of cassava, rice and corn. It is possible to take a nice pirogue ride from Avevé (about 30 km north of Aného) down to Adamé. You will have to negotiate with the smugglers at the Togo/Benin border.

The village is one of the oldest and most important iron and steel centers in West Africa, with iron ores having been exploited very early on by the local population. For more than two millennia, this tradition has been exported to Burkina Faso, Benin and Ghana. The region is known for its smelting techniques and its blacksmiths. In the locality, one discovers several blast furnaces, which should soon be upgraded.

About 8 km east of Natchamba, it is possible to visit a traditional Konkonba chiefdom. Once a warrior people, this ethnic group is now known for being a great producer of yams. You can ask to meet the chief for an interview. You will learn more about the organization of this chiefdom. Behind the reception hall are some beautifully painted huts. Don't forget to bring a present to the chief.

In Togo, natural mangroves are located along the Gbaga Channel in the extreme southeast of the country and in places along the Mono River. The Gbaga Channel is a natural communication between the Mono River to the east and the lagoon system consisting of the Aného lagoons and Lake Togo to the west. The traveler arriving from Lomé to Aného in front of the offices of the Lakes prefecture goes to the Togolese mangroves by turning right towards Aklakou. The mangrove forest is a paradise for living beings. Its pools are full of important populations of hippos, Nile crocodiles, ducks, anhingas, different species of herons, kingfishers and a myriad of fish that can be easily observed. We also meet a rare species of turtle. The mangrove presents by its diversity of ecosystem a multitude of landscapes: the ponds with water lilies, water lettuce, water hyacinths which, when they are in flower, expose a multitude of white, beige, pink, yellow, purple corollas... forming an impressive multicolored layer on the surface of the water. The ponds with cattails, the articulated stumps, the meadows and the savannahs are as many landscapes to admire. Also the mangrove forests with thousands of stilt roots offer a picturesque view. Artificial mangrove plantations, some of which are accessible only by dugout canoe, are spectacular in their extent and complete this lush natural vegetation of mangroves.

To get to the Well of the Chained Ones (Gatovoudo), one passes in front of the cemetery, following a dirt road. The well dates from the 1800s and is enclosed by a low wall. In the middle of the tomato fields, a plaque indicates the visit of the Director General of UNESCO in 2007. It is more a symbolic place than a place to visit, the interest being very limited and the place not maintained. It is here that slaves used to wash for the last time in order to remove their "impurities" before being loaded onto ships bound for the colonies.

Here is the biggest waterfall in West Africa: 175 meters high! Little known by the locals, it nevertheless dethrones the Yikpa waterfall, north of Kpalimé, and the Wli waterfall, in Ghana. On the other hand, the water only flows from June to January. Its access by Bassar is much easier than the access to the waterfalls of Kpalimé, but the distance is longer. However, count about 2 hours of rather bad tracks, starting from Bassar. When you arrive in the village, you must ask to meet the village chief to introduce yourself. It is best to be accompanied by a guide.

They are the most numerous in the region, there would be more than a hundred of them. The extraction of the ore is generally done in the open air. The oven measures about 120 cm in diameter and is 2 to 3 meters high. The construction of the furnace involves magical rites that allow the delimitation of its circumference. A deep pit is then dug in which gris-gris are placed. The oven itself is composed of successive layers of clay and roots.

It is a colorful market where people drink tchoukoutou, amillet beer. It is most lively on Wednesdays and Saturdays when people flock from all over the region as well as from neighboring countries (Benin, Burkina Faso and Ghana). You can find a little bit of everything: cereals (sorghum, millet, corn...), tubers (yams, sweet potatoes...), vegetables, fruits, meat, clothes and various kitchen utensils. On busy days, you will have to make your way through the crowd, and therefore be very careful with your belongings.

The sacred pit is a deep depression that has been transformed into a small lake fed by the Kouloungona River. It is a sacred place inhabited by the spirits. During the rainy season, it offers a striking spectacle when the waterspouts gush from all sides. To appreciate the view at its best, you have to go down below. Possibility of fishing, swimming and bivouac. You can even reach the pit by kayak from Nano. The green natural setting is the perfect place for a picnic with family or friends.

Without doubt the most beautiful site of the region. Only the Nok caves have been "fitted out" in order to allow their visit. They are also called the caves of Nano because they depend on the village. When you arrive in Nano, you have to contact the guide Mikabini Koulbème, who will give you a presentation of the place and will guide you towards the iron staircase on the edge of the cliff which leads to the caves. You will go inside the fault, sometimes at a height of one meter, between each attic, the whole facing a vertiginous panorama. These caves were used as a shelter and refuge for the native population during the various periods of insecurity that occurred in the region from the 17th to the 19th century. A lookout was located on the heights, in charge of warning the population. When a danger arose, he lit a fire to warn the villages. The women and children would then take refuge in the caves. The village could live in autarky for several weeks. Many granaries (134) can still be seen, as well as chicken coops that were compartmentalized to save space. They are cylindrical, oblong or semi-spherical in shape and open upwards. Carved in the traditional architectural style from local materials, these granaries contained the crops. A small spring ensured the water supply. The caves and granaries of Nok and Maproug are on the list of sites proposed to the Unesco World Heritage.