What's To See In Havana, Cuba?

It is a place of contrasts.  With an incredible legacy of architectual and historical wealth alongside much modern poverty.

This was an incredibly prosperous city in the early part of the 20th century.  Much of the architecture of the city, although neglected and run down, reflects the wealth of the late 19th century up through the war period.  In many ways the city centre has been frozen in time since the 1950s revolution, in sharp contrast to the capitalism-fueled growth elsewhere in Latin America and the rest of the world.

At the centre of the old city is the cobbled Plaza de la Catedral.  It's surrounded by low colonial buildings, with an ornate cathedral dominating the square. The grand church is built in a Cuban twist on baroque style.

The buildings in Plaza Vieja and Mercaderes house expensive shops for tourists.  But the real atmosphere is to be found in the backstreets of Havana.  With little material wealth Cubans still excel in enjoying the little pleasures of life: good food, smoking, socialising and playing basketball (a national obsession).