Monuments to visit Réunion

A typical Creole villa built at the end of the 18th century, in neoclassical style, the Villa Rivière comprises a stone main building and a wooden facade, with varangue and pilasters. On two levels, it brings together all the canons of classical composition and presents a rare architectural authenticity. The villa, its outbuildings and the garden have been listed as Historic Monuments since 1990. It is the only Creole hut of its kind open to the public. The guide, Marion, offers you an incredibly rich guided tour!

A historical witness to the life of the nineteenth century, the house and its lush garden, built in the heart of the old spa resort, are inscribed in historic monuments. Maintained with love by its owner, the home offers its thousands of visitors a delicious evoke of life in Hell-Bourg during the governors. We're coming out of the field with tasty anecdotes and funny Creole expressions. Raphaël Folio died in March 2018, leaving him with the care to tell you his legacy.

Originally the name of a tree, Takamaka is an exceptional site, a tropical paradise, with steep mountains and waterfalls, Jurassic Park style. It holds records with more than 6 m of rain per year. A viewpoint is accessible at the end of the beautiful D53. To do so, follow Bourbier, the first exit of the four-lane road leaving Saint-Benoît from the north. The dam, built in 1969, supplied the island with 100% renewable energy. Today, it is only 30%. Go very early and only in good weather. There are opportunities for sports hikes.

After several years of closure, the Château Morange cultural center has reopened its doors. With a strong focus on the visual arts, it offers a program of cinema, photography and video art. And it doesn't stop there, as you can enjoy concerts by artists on the patio or in the auditorium. The château, built in 1853 by Jean-Baptiste Prosper Morange, has undergone a complete restoration. The space is now the venue for numerous cultural events. See our Facebook page for the latest program.

This timeless Creole estate, listed as a historical monument in 2018, welcomes you in a green and warm setting. It is a haven of peace that will fascinate lovers of history and botany. The mistress of the house offers you a guided tour from 10am to enjoy a perfect light, followed by a snack. If you wish to enjoy a picnic in the 3 ha forest, call her beforehand. She will concoct a gourmet basket for you to enjoy. She will also be able to reveal her secret corners.

This must-see stop on the Route de l'Est is well worth a few minutes' detour. The 152-meter-long suspension bridge spanning the Rivière de l'Est was the longest in the world when it was delivered in 1894. Classified as a historical monument in 2028, it has been undergoing major restoration work since 2021, in order to make it once again (and exclusively) accessible to pedestrians. The reopening of this suspension bridge, also known as the "Pont des Anglais", is scheduled for the end of 2023.

The only island lighthouse dates back to the time of the end of slavery in the middle of the 19th century, and is taken over by the Tourist Office. With a spiral staircase of 73 steps, it overlooks the Indian Ocean majestically. The top of the lighthouse is visited recently and a museum of the sea is planned.

A vestige of a bygone era, this well, architecturally similar to those that were once dug in Arabia, has long supported the thesis that the Arabs knew and conquered the island as early as the 8th or 9th century, the thesis of a poorly informed Egyptologist. More recent studies have proved that the well was commissioned by the colonial administration in the 19th century. A lot of noise for a simple square excavation, whose 42 steps carved in lava, go down to the water table. The source was dried up in 1986, following an eruption.

Along the Chaussée Royale, you won't be able to miss this beautiful Creole house, surrounded by a large garden, which belonged to the Desbassyns family, rich planters. Nicknamed "Grand kour", it was the most important of all the Desbassyns' residences. After Mrs. Desbassyns' death, her granddaughter donated it to the bishopric in 1855, which turned it into a school. Today it belongs to the city and is one of the two listed monuments in the commune. It is awaiting a restoration in keeping with its history.

Facing the Barachois, this building, originally planned as a department store, became the grand lodge upon its delivery in 1739. It is the official residence of the island's governors. Its current architecture is the sum of several campaigns of work. In 1822, Jean-François Gaudin added a forecourt surmounted by a dome and a belvedere. The varangues are equipped with neoclassical pillars and columns. Then in 1951, the architect Jean Hébrard had the belvedere removed and began the complete restoration of the building.

This former leper colony, built in the middle of the 19th century, is today a pleasant small craft and associative space, which serves as the centre of the Saint-Bernard district. It is about fifteen minutes from the beginning of the Mountain. You will find a restaurant, local shops, the local library, a hairdresser, a florist and a medical centre in the various lodges of this historical monument, arranged around a grassy courtyard.

It is one of Reunion's architectural masterpieces inspired by neoclassism. Built in 1820 by Laurent Philippe Robin, pharmacist, then owner of a sugar factory in the Ravine Blanche, this house owes its name to the Motais family of Narbonne, owner of the site from 1911 to 1980, the year it was bought by the department which installed the offices of the sub-prefecture. It is registered in the supplementary inventory of historical monuments since 1989.

Little is known about it, but the town of Le Port is also home to some beautiful Creole huts, which once housed the engineers and managers of shipping companies following the creation of the port at the end of the 19th century. With its wide galleries on two levels and its imposing roofs, this architecture, typical of the former French and English colonies, offers a great opportunity to take a different look at the town of Le Port, too often neglected by tourists. If you are a fan of 19th century heritage, the town of Le Port will delight you.

The lazaret of the Grande Chaloupe is one of the quarantine sites erected in the 19th century to prevent the spread of epidemics. Owned by the Departmental Council since 1946, then listed as a historical monument in 1998, it has been the subject of restoration campaigns and now houses a permanent exhibition on engagement and quarantine. It is an essential site to understand what is "engagementism". In another room of the site, you can also discover temporary exhibitions of contemporary artists.

The estate of Marencourt, which covers 26 ha, is mainly devoted to the cultivation of cane. The owners' house, a beautiful mansion flanked by two red turrets, sometimes illustrates the tourist brochures. But in reality, once built in wood cladding, it was largely destroyed during the cyclone of 1962 and then rebuilt as a permanent structure. Only one of the outer walls is still original. The estate dates back to the 19th century and was bought in 1890 by Édouard Manès, one of the last governors of Reunion Island.

The town takes its name from Mr. Laleu, who was the first to build a racket on this stretch of coast. The small town became a commune in 1790 and was then named Saint-Leu. The land here was excellent for growing coffee, around which the town grew rapidly. The building housing the town hall is a remnant of this prosperous period. The most striking episode in the history of Saint-Leu is undoubtedly that of the slave revolt of 1811.