Things to see and do Saint-Denis

This museum owes its existence to two Reunionese, Georges Athenas and Alexandre Merlot, who decided in 1912 to collect works and open a museum in their home town in honour of Léon Dierx, the famous local poet who died that year. In this superb Creole hut you can see a few sketches by Gauguin, a Chagall, a self-portrait by Vollard, paintings by Vuillard, Rouault, Caillebotte, Bourdelle, Carrière, Guillaumin... The curator regularly proposes temporary exhibitions. We never tire of them.

The Avenue de la Victoire and the Rue de Paris are worth discovering on foot and walking along the baros (Creole gate) of its superb Creole houses. The Tourist Office has moreover chosen to live within the walls of the sublime Maison Carrère, a completely renovated hut that can be visited. The Chapel of the Immaculate, the old town hall, the State garden, the Natural History Museum... So many monuments that you can discover with a guide or on your own thanks to the signage that the town hall has put up at the gate of each building.

This district, wedged between two ramparts, combines residences, industry and historical relics. It's well worth a detour, if only to admire the bichique fishermen's canals, or to stroll along the banks at the river mouth. Along the rue de la Boulangerie, you'll find ^19th-century shops, including the freestone house at the corner of rue du Pont, dated 1835. Portions of the mill canal are still visible at the foot of the Tikatsou staircase. Adjust your gaze and you won't be disappointed.

Réunion is one of the best preserved islands in the world. The ONF maintains 987 km of trails in the 100,311 ha of public forests, i.e. 40% of the island's surface area. Its main missions are to welcome, protect, produce and employ. To find out about the state of the trails, consult the " Info Sentiers " section at the bottom of the home page of the ONF Réunion website. The site also contains a wealth of information on the island's natural heritage.

The former royal garden, which extends over 4 ha, was originally created between 1767 and 1773 with the aim of acclimatising exotic food and ornamental plants. Elegant, its layout was redesigned for the 1972 floral displays, but it still houses a number of rare botanical species. You won't miss its beautiful avenue of palm trees. Renovated in 2009, this site classified as a Historic Monument, ideal for an educational visit or simply for a coffee on the terrace, offers beautiful water games for children. An unmissable stopover!

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.

In the most prestigious street of the chief town, the friendly team of the Office intercommunal du Nord welcomes you to the Maison Carrère and offers you activities, exhibitions, points of interest, news and good maps of the towns of Saint-Denis, Sainte-Marie and Sainte-Suzanne. Pass the counter to visit this superb Creole villa and stop by their shop. Be on the lookout for their favourites presented in this new edition of Le Petit Futé.

Lively and animated, the rue du Maréchal Leclerc sets the tempo of Saint-Denis. Popular and commercial, it is the most exotic, the most representative of the diversity of the island's cultures. All types of shops are represented here: from fabric, electronics and furniture shops run by the Zarabes to Chinese shops full of art objects, wooden statuettes and jade, not forgetting shoe and clothing shops with Western brands. In this street that crosses Saint-Denis from east to west, everyone prays to their god.

Built in the neoclassical style, the church was delivered in 1832 and became a cathedral in 1850. The second phase of work, which took place between 1856 and 1863, allowed the apse to be enlarged and a porch to be added. The coffered ceiling with gilded ribs and Renaissance-style pendentives was added in 1869. From 2018 to 2019, the three marouflaged canvases of the choir, painted by Father Moirod at the end of the 19th century, were completely restored. The cathedral has been classified as a historic monument since 1975.

Situated in a superb mid-19th century Creole house, renovated and modified between 1987 and 1991, the mission of this art library is to promote contemporary art in Reunion Island by encouraging local and regional artists. You have to go there, if only for the place, which regularly hosts temporary exhibitions (vernissages are often great festive moments, with music, stories, etc.). The specialised library has 2,000 items, which it lends to art lovers for a minimum of €15 per year.

Located in the State Garden, this museum occupies the premises of the former Legislative Palace, a historic monument in colonial style built in 1834. Focused on biodiversity, it exhibits the flora and fauna of the islands of the southwestern Indian Ocean, including a beautiful collection of naturalized Malagasy lemurs on the first floor. The main attraction of the museum is undoubtedly the coelacanth, a fish from the Mozambique Channel. A good refreshment would do it good.

This covered market located at the western end of the rue du Maréchal-Leclerc is an exotic stopover. The building, dating from 1866, is the first civil work in cast iron. You will find there articles of Malagasy craft industry, of which beautiful tablecloths, chairs, baskets, games of solitaire... Ideal to bring back small gifts for all the family. You can eat in the two restaurants of the market where you will taste curries of all kinds. The walls at the back regularly host photography and art exhibitions.

The Noor-e-Islam mosque is the main mosque of the capital of Reunion Island, to be discovered during a stroll along the pedestrian and shopping street Maréchal Leclerc. This large mosque, inaugurated in 1905, is the first in France and overseas. It can accommodate up to 4,000 people. The facade is equipped with a minaret that rises to 32 m, it is easily spotted in the heart of the city. The call to prayer is pronounced three times a day in the streets of Saint-Denis.

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.

From industrial activity (flour mills, forges, chocolate factories, bakeries...) over the centuries to the river's ecosystem, military or religious monuments and the skills of the local people, these neighborhoods are full of riches just waiting to be shared. The Pti Colibri association has enlisted the help of professionals to help you discover this little-known heritage. Four Tikatsou guided tours are offered in the Bas de la Rivière, Colline and Petite Île neighborhoods. Get curious!

A beautiful private contemporary art gallery of 200 ^m2 with its patio which exposes mainly artists from Reunion Island or continental Europe. Here, eclecticism is the order of the day; styles vary, succeed one another, clash from exhibition to exhibition and from season to season. A dynamic address to discover in the heart of Saint-Denis. A little crush for the exhibited artists coming from street art like Jérôme Mesnager or very pop like Nimbus. Surprise: the gallery is also open to artists or associations of artists wishing to present their works.

Not far from the fruit and vegetable market, other rituals take place in a beautiful Tamil temple, colorful and decorated with multiple deities. In 1917, there was only a small temple named Kôvil, made of tin. It was rebuilt in concrete in 1956 and enlarged in the 1980s to form an architectural complex called Shri Kali Kambal Kôvil. The latest expansion work dates from 2012. To visit the temples, take off your shoes, get rid of your leather items and check other requests indicated on a sign at the entrance.