La Bodeguita del Medio is a must-visit, typical restaurant of Havana, and one of the most attractive tourist spots. Old Havana has been frequented by countless visitors, from well-known writers like Ernest Hemingway to important politicians. Its interior offers a typical Cuban atmosphere, as well as excellent music, Creole cuisine (slow-roasted pork, ropa vieja, black beans, yucca with mojo, tostones, arroz morro, etc) and a fantastic typical drink like the mojito. Following the initiative of Leandro García, a journalist who signed the restaurant’s wall, all famous people who visit the place do the same. They leave a memento there in the form of a print, a picture, an object, or some graffiti; it is even possible to find the signatures of some historical figures, like Salvador Allende, Ernest Hemingway, or Pablo Neruda. You can’t miss your chance to visit this place on your way through Habana Vieja. If you don’t book a table in advance you won’t probably have another chance to get one, but you will for sure enjoy an incredible atmosphere surrounded by Cuban history.

This square dates back to the first half of the 17th century. Its location, just a few metres from the bay, led to it becoming an important trading square over the years. It is said that around the year 1600 the first fountain of the city could be seen at this square. In 1836 it was replaced by a beautiful fountain made of white Carrara marble by Giuseppe Gaggini, under the good auspices of the Villanueva Count. This fountain is called Fuente de los Leones (Lions Fountain). On its paved area stand two noteworthy buildings: the Monastery and Basilica of San Francisco de Asís, which today houses the Museum of Religious Art and a concert hall. It is also where the Lonja del Comercio (Chamber of Commerce) is located, inspired by Spanish Renaissance architecture and topped by a dome on which a sculpture of the god Mercury stands. Among the houses built around the plaza, the house of the Arostegui family, residence of the Captain Generals until the completion of the City Hall at the end of the 18th century, was erected.

The National Museum of Fine Arts houses Cuba's most important art collections, as well as paintings dating from the 18th to the 21st century and ancient art. The exhibition areas treasure collections of Cuban and European painting, which harmonize with works of art of ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome. Its valuable assets are divided into two buildings: Cuban Art, just a short walk from the Museum of the Revolution, and Universal Art, in the magnificent building that was once occupied by the Asturian Centre, opposite the Central Park.

Currently the venue of the Office of the Historian of Havana, the palace was built in 1776 and has been given several functions: official residence of the Spanish governors of the island from 1781 to 1899 and of the presidency of the republic from 1902 to 1920. The City Museum currently occupies part of the sumptuous halls with permanent exhibition of arts and history of the colonial times and of the beginnings of the 20 th century. The museum exhibits valuable treasures such as: the first Cuban flag, personal effects of the heroes of Cuba: Jose Martí, Máximo Gómez and Antonio Maceo together with a priceless collection of colonial furniture, carriages and other works of art.