Cuba - Lonely Planet [72]
The southern side of the square is taken up by the impressive Iglesia y Monasterio de San Francisco de Asís. Originally constructed in 1608 and rebuilt in the baroque style from 1719 to 1738, San Francisco de Asís was taken over by the Spanish state in 1841 as part of a political move against the powerful religious orders of the day, when it ceased to be a church. Today it’s both a concert hall ( from 5pm or 6pm) hosting classical music and the Museo de Arte Religioso ( 862-3467; unguided/guided CUC$2/3; 9am-6pm) replete with religious paintings, silverware, woodcarvings and ceramics.
To the side of the Palacio de Gobierno on Churruca is the Coche Mambí (admission free; 9am-2pm Tue-Sat), a 1900 train car built in the US and brought to Cuba in 1912. Put into service as the Presidential Car, it’s a palace on wheels, with a formal dining room, louvered wooden windows and, back in its heyday, fans cooling the car with dry ice.
MUSEO DEL RON
You don’t have to be an Añejo Reserva quaffer to enjoy the Museo del Ron ( 861-8051; San Pedro No 262; admission incl guide CUC$5; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun) in the Fundación Havana Club, but it probably helps. The museum, with its bilingual guided tour showing rum-making antiquities and the complex brewing process, gets mixed reviews from travelers, though most give a hearty thumbs-up to the popular dancing lessons held here weekday mornings (Click here).
PLAZA VIEJA
Laid out in 1559, Plaza Vieja (Old Square) is Havana’s most architecturally eclectic square where Cuban baroque nestles seamlessly next to Gaudí-inspired art nouveau. Originally called Plaza Nueva (New Square), it was initially used for military exercises and later served as an open-air marketplace. During the Batista regime an ugly underground parking lot was constructed here, but the monstrosity was demolished in 1996 to make way for a massive renovation project. Sprinkled liberally with bars, restaurants and cafes, Plaza Vieja today boasts its own micro-brewery, the Angela Landa primary school and a beautiful fenced-in fountain.
On the northwestern corner is Havana’s cámara oscura (admission CUC$2; 9am-5pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun) providing live, 360-degree views of the city from atop a 35m-tall tower. Explanations are in Spanish and English. In the arcade adjacent is the Fototeca de Cuba ( 862-2530; Mercaderes No 307; admission free; 10am-5pm Tue-Fri, 9am-noon Sat), a photo gallery with intriguing exhibits by local and international artists.
Encased in the plaza’s oldest building is the quirky Museo de Naipes (Muralla No 101; admission free; 9am-6pm Tue-Sun), a playing-card museum with a 2000-strong collection that includes rock stars, rum drinks and round cards. Next door is La Casona Centro de Arte ( 861-8544; Muralla No 107; admission free; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat), with great solo and group shows by up-and-coming Cuban artists.
Down the street, the Centro Cultural Pablo de la Torriente Brau ( 861-6251; www.centropablo.cult.cu; Muralla No 63; admission free; 9am-5:30pm Tue-Sat), a leading cultural institution that was formed under the auspices of the Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (Uneac; Union of Cuban Writers and Artists) in 1996. The center hosts expositions, poetry readings and live acoustic music. Its Salón de Arte Digital is renowned for its groundbreaking digital art.
The square’s most distinctive building is the Gaudí-esque Palacio Cueto (cnr Muralla & Mercaderes), Havana’s finest example of art nouveau that was constructed in 1906. Its outrageously ornate facade once housed a warehouse and a hat factory before it was rented by José Cueto in the 1920s as the Palacio Vienna hotel. Habaguanex has recently pledged to restore the building, empty and unused since the early ’90s.
CALLE OBISPO & AROUND
Narrow, car-free Calle Obispo (literally: Bishop’s Street), Habana Vieja’s main interconnecting artery, is packed with art galleries, shops, music bars and people.
The Museo de Numismático ( 861-5811; Obispo btwn Aguiar & Habana; admission CUC$1; 9am-4:45pm) brings together various collections