Avenida de los Presidentes Avenida de los Presidentes, Vedado, La Habana

The Avenida de los Presidentes de la Habana Avenue is located in the quarter of Vedado, Havana, surrounded by statues of important Latin American presidents, in the way of Las Ramblas of Barcelona. Among these statues are those of Salvador Allende, Simón Bolívar, and Benito Juárez. This wonderful avenue is known by Cubans as Calle G. To the north of Calle G is the Monument to Calixto García, a sculpture in honor of the brave Cuban general who US military leaders prevented from attending the Spanish surrender in 1898, in Santiago de Cuba. The statue represents the general riding a horse, and is surrounded by 24 bronze sheets telling the story of Calixto’s fight for the Independence of Cuba. At the south is the great monument to José Miguel Gómez, the second president of Cuba. Another one was dedicated to Tomás Estrada Palma, the first president of Cuba, who was considered a puppet of the US, however the only trace left of this statue is a couple of shoes on a pedestal. This place is quite lively during the evenings, when youngsters visit it looking to enjoy themselves with its guitars and drums. This atmosphere is especially present on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Edificio Bacardí Avenida de las Misiones, La Habana

The Edificio Bacardí (Bacardí Building) is the first Art Déco building in Havana. It is considered an architectural jewel of its time, as well as one of the best examples of decorative art. Construction finished in 1930, and it was the tallest building on the island at that time. It is said that the building contains marble and granite from almost every nation in Europe. This building has 12 floors, 5 of which are offices for rent, and a total space of 7,031 square meters. Its facade is covered in Baviera red granite and on the top you will see a bat, the symbol of the Bacardí company. At the end of 19th Century, the Bacardi rum was very famous in Cuba and abroad. Its creator, Don Emilio Bacardi, was a Spaniard settled in the island. It is said that he had a bat as a talisman which was used as logo in the first distillery that made him to win fortune. It has a tiered pyramid design, using tiles as a decorative element from Catalonian Modernism, giving the building a wonderful shade effect. The richness of its interior decoration is given mainly by the natural beauty of its marbles, brought from Europe and the typical accessories of Art Deco like lamps, ironworks, drawings, etc. Currently, the building houses Cuban offices, offices for and international companies. The lobby has a bar open to the public and you’ll be able to climb the tower and get a wonderful view over Havana.

Museo Casa Natal de José Martí Calle Leonor Pérez No. 314, La Habana

The Museo Casa Natal de José Martí (Birthplace Museum) is the house in which José Martí was born, a 19th century politician, intellectual and national hero of the Republic of Cuba. This humble two-floor house was converted into a museum in 1925 and declared a National Monument in 1949. It exhibits personal objects of José Martí, whose spirit is felt in every corner of the restored house. It was built at the beginning of the 19th century, rather close to the city walls, and has typical features of many houses in the area: a tiled roof and mortar walls.  The house was restored and its collection enriched in a community process in 1959. It is interesting to know that this museum contains the only known Oil Portrait of José Martí.

Dance Museum Calle Línea No. 251 esq G, Vedado, La Habana

The Museo de la Danza (Dance Museum) is located in an eclectic mansion in Vedado. The museum exhibits a rich collection of objects from the history of Cuban dance, among which are some personal belongings of famous former dancer Alicia Alonso, who founded the National Ballet of Cuba, and she is precisely the live soul of this Museum. The exhibition room dedicated to Alonso displays her costume for Giselle's first act, a ballet play that opened her vertiginous way to stardom, as well as her costume for Carmen (designed by Salvador Fernández), another of her mythical characters. Its halls contain several collections of the dressing room items, photographs, paintings, engravings of the old Tacón Theater, and pieces ranging from 16th century to contemporary society. The most ancient piece in the Museum is a book by Raoul Auger Feuillet, The Art of Writing Dance, from 1700, with demonstrative signs and letters, a gift given to Alicia. The collection of the Dance Museum is extremely valuable, a true treasure thanks to which this apparently intangible art can be trapped.

Farmacia Habanera Museum Calle Brasil esq. Compostela, Habana Vieja, La Habana

A few steps towards Calle Brasil from Plaza del Cristo Square is where the 1886 Museo de la Farmacia Habanera is located. Founded by the Catalonian José Sarrá, it is a shop-museum and nowadays still functions as a pharmacy. The museum displays the history of pharmacies in Havana and their evolution in Cuba. This Pharmacy preserves its original Neo-gothic furniture with Moorish influences, and host a large collection of medicine bottles and medical tools, extracted from archeological excavations in the old city, as well as a book collection with valuable prescriptions for the study of Cuban pharmacopoeia. The museum also exhibits an elegant scale model of an old pharmacy with captivating historical explanations.

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