La Habana(Havana)

LA HABANA
(Havana)

The Cuban capital has many charms and mysteries, but perhaps it’s most significant is it’s natural environment. The city, whose historic quarter has ben declared a world heritage site by UNESCO, has a character all it’s own, dominated by the sea and it’s long and colorful history, evidenced by even the stones dotted with pieces of shell and eaten away by time and neglect. Moldings, capitals, cornices have evolved into new aesthetic solutions within this modern city, as always facing the cool blue sea, which defines it’s look and regulates it’s atmosphere.
To wander though Havana is to travel through history, it’s various epochs, from the distant 16th century to the present, from the narrow colonial alleyways of Oficios and Mercaderes Streets to modern, tree-lined Fifth Avenue. La Bodeguita del Medio, El Floridita and Tropicana are three points of reference for any tourist. Havana hotels, nights, dawns, all have an unmistakable accent reflecting life in the tropics and a singular identity which is simultaneously Cuban and Caribbean. As before, Havana’s excellent spot for vacationing or stopping over. Close to three million persons live in Havana; the central government is headquartered there along with the country’s most important institutions. It is home to fascinating museums, university campuses, theatres and cultural centers.