The capital of Togo, Lome: main attractions

Togo is a small state in West Africa, sandwiched between Ghana and Benin. The outlines of the country are similar to a rectangle stretched from north to south. Thus, 56 kilometers of the coast is the whole outlet to the sea, which the Republic of Togo owns. Lome, the country's main city, is located just on the shore of the Gulf of Guinea Atlantic, and its beaches are not least attractive for tourists. The climate of the southern part of the country is humid, equatorial. If the savannah extends in the north, then Lomé lies surrounded by tropical jungles.

The capital of Togo is a fairly large city. It has about 900 thousand people. About its foundation, although it took place only at the end of the XVIII century, there were only legends. A certain hunter Bold Heart saw on the shore of the ocean among the palm trees the lush thickets of aloe and built the first houses there. Later the word "aloe" was transformed into "Loma". This settlement became an administrative center from 1879, when the country turned into a colony of Germany, and continued to remain so after the First World War, when Togo passed into the hands of France. When the state gained independence and sovereignty in 1960, the Lome settlement turned out to be the most developed economic center and received the status of the capital.

The railway, passing from the north to the coast, divides the city into the western and eastern parts. In the west, it is the capital of Togo - the embassy, the houses of Europeans, the administrative institutions of the state, and the residential areas of the local population, a huge covered market, the majority of shops. In the north there is a hospital and a university with its campuses, and in the south are hotels and beaches. Also in this part of the metropolis there are beautiful modern buildings where government meetings and conferences of various international organizations are held.

After the upheavals of the late 1990s, the tourist flow to the country was somewhat reduced, but even now many foreigners can be found there, especially in the south, in the coastal part. The capital of Togo is rightly proud of its beaches, but bathing in the local waters will only suit good swimmers, because of the strong tide current. The season lasts all year round. However, it must be borne in mind that local residents use municipal beaches in the city as a toilet, so you should rest on isolated and equipped sites near the Sarakawa hotel. You can still go 9 kilometers east to Robinson Beach, where the rocks create a comfortable bathing area and reduce the rolling force of the wave.

The capital of Togo, Lomé, knows what to surprise the tourist. The identity and characteristics of the local nationalities that gave the world a religion of voodoo are most clearly manifested in the March of the Fetishurs (Fetish Market), located on the western outskirts of the city. Here they trade only with objects of the voodoo cult: dried animal organs, ointments, mashing, amulets and other "miraculous" tricks.

The Big Market in the center is a three-story hive in which you can find everything the soul desires. But for the batik, leather goods or figurines it is better to go to the "village of artisans", which is located near the hotel Du Gulf. There you can buy a souvenir from the first hand, and at the same time observe the work of folk craftsmen.

Visiting the cathedral and the Palace of the National Assembly, you can go to the town of Togoville, located on the shore of the lake. This is the unofficial capital of Togo, since here is the palace of the ruler of Mlapa IV. His Majesty himself serves as a guide. He will be happy to show foreign tourists his Mason Royal (Royal House), his gilded Mercedes, photos of his ancestors and the throne. In return, the king expects a return gift from you.