Teniente Rey St. between Oficios St. and Mercaderes St., Old Havana ,
Havana, Cuba
(+53) 78629383
yes
About
Los Frailes
The Hotel los Frailes (Friars’ Hotel) owes its name to its proximity to the Basilica and Monastery of St Francis of Assisi in the nearby Plaza de San Francisco. It is a very pleasant little hotel despite a few idiosyncrasies, principal of which is that all the staff members are required to dress as Franciscan friars. It feels faintly sacrilegious to drink a mojito mixed by a monk, but no odder than seeing that same monk later, still in his habit, lurking outside the hotel entrance with a huge cigar between his teeth.
Another little peculiarity of the place is that the majority of the rooms have been laid out in the style of monastic cells. This actually sounds far worse than it is, for the rooms are air conditioned and so comfortable that one hardly notices the lack of a window. The first floor suites are definitely the best option, though, as they do have windows which overlook Teniente Rey Street; these rooms are thus very light and airy.
The ground floor bar with its tall windows is cool and has lots of comfortable sofas, and the woodwind quartet that regularly plays there has a very soothing effect on the nerves after a day spent in the noise and heat of Old Havana. An interesting design feature of the hotel is that the original aljibe, the central limestone cistern of the type located under the courtyard of every colonial mansion in Old Havana, has been glassed over so that one can see the deliciously clear water below.
Calle Mercaderes No. 114, Habana Vieja, La Habana
Maqueta Museum of Old Havana (Scale Model Museum)
The Museo Maqueta de La Habana Vieja (Maqueta Museum of Old Havana) (Scale Model Museum) hosts a 1:500 scale model of Old Havana, one of the most important of these models in all of Cuba, and is considered as a place of great interest, knowledge and entertainment by its inhabitants. It is continuously updated and is rather impressive due to the incredible attention to detail in its works in regards to some of the most important buildings of Old Havana. This is one of Old Havana’s must-visit museums, as it allows you to imagine what the historical center of Havana is like as a whole, and therefore being able to get a better look at it when walking its streets.
Calle Mercaderes No.120, Habana Vieja, La Habana
Tobacco Museum
The Museo del Tabaco (Tobacco Museum) is located within an 18th century building that belonged to the Bartolomé Luque family, in Calle Mercaderes Street, Old Havana. This museum is dedicated to the preservation and display of collections related to the plantations, production and commercialization of Cuban tobacco. It exhibits a large collection of pipes, leaves and other related items, as well as a collection of lithographic stones and machines of important cigar companies. The museum has a small shop where you’ll be able to get different Havana cigars and items for smokers.
Ave Carlos Manuel Céspedes y Santa Clara, Habana Vieja, La Habana
Nuestra Señora de Kazán Orthodox Cathedral
The Catedral Ortodoxa de Nuestra Señora de Kazán (Nuestra Señora de Kazán Orthodox Cathedral), declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is one of the newest constructions in Havana, being built in 2000. This Russian Orthodox church is Byzantine in style. It has six beautiful domes, two of which (the biggest and smallest) are gold-sheeted, and the rest are made of bronze. Its staircase entrance calls our attention and is considered the second largest staircase of all outside Russia. From the interior, its golden altar stands out, built in Trinidad and the San Sergio Monastery, Russia; and the murals adorning its walls.
Teniente Rey y Villegas, Habana Vieja, La Habana
Santo Cristo del Buen Viaje Church
The Santo Cristo del Buen Viaje Church is a simple yet charming church. It is located in Plaza del Cristo Square, on the western side of Old Havana, away from the city center and tourist areas. The structure of the church is intriguing because of the simplicity of its towers and of its lateral façades, in complete harmony with the character of the works of the 17th century. The church was built in 1732 in the same place where previously there was a Franciscan shrine. Nowadays it has only partially been restored, with its beautiful stained glass windows and brightly colored ceiling being very noteworthy qualities. Inside the church, the image of Jesus on the Cross among travelers and sailors became very popular because it was thought to keep people from harm. On Good Fridays the processions left from the Convento de San Francisco de Asís and ended at the Iglesia del Cristo. The dimensions of the plaza were planned according to the processions that were to take place in it, marking the end of the fourteen crosses or Stations of the Cross. The Plaza del Cristo Square is an ideal place if you want to get far from touristy areas and to witness what real Cuban life is like.
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