Things to see and do Lomé

You have to go there early in the morning. The fishermen arrive with their pirogues and sell directly the product of fishing to the mothers who then resell on the markets. Typical and colorful. It is advisable to go there by car or cab because the access is not easy and the neighborhoods crossed are not the safest. Dugouts unloading on the quay, nets being made and unmade, baskets filled with fish... the place is alive with exchanges between fishermen, buyers, visitors and food stalls.

Called Sacred Heart, or German cathedral, the cathedral of Lomé was built in 1905. Its architecture is of Gothic style with an ogival shape. It has a basilica plan, consisting of a nave of seven bays covered with a groin vault. It has undergone numerous restorations over the years. It stands in the center of the city with its elaborate spires, its façade pierced by a rose window and its beautifully painted interior. Its carved wooden benches and its frescoes make it an element of the colonial heritage of Togo. It adjoins the Grand Marché.

It is essentially a tourist market with small stores selling local handicrafts such as jewelry, paintings, ebony, carved wood and batiks. The merchants call out to visitors and negotiation is part of the buying process. Handicrafts and replicas of antiques are of high quality, especially if you cross the "rue des arts", which is located in the street of the Hotel du Golf. This is where you will find your gifts to make and other souvenirs to bring back. To be discovered without hesitation!

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.

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.