Along elegant, tree-lined avenues, serene neoclassical mansions rub shoulders with fine museums, galleries, avant-garde theatres and concert halls. In the 1950s, American ratpackers, movie stars and gangsters cruised and boozed the boulevards and the swanky hotels. Nowadays, chock full of bars, both sleek and seedy, raunchy salsa clubs and titillating cabarets, tourists are still lured to this playground of sinful excess. Vedado, with its wide, planned streets, is much easier to negotiate than Centro and is best tackled on foot. Running northeast to southwest and infused with the salty Malecón air is Calle 23, or La Rampa, the setting for all manner of pre-revolutionary vicissitude and vice – now a banal jumble of airline and government offices, seasoned with steamy nightspots, and dominated by the historic Hotel Habana Libre. Crouching below, looking like an interplanetary spacecraft in a botanical garden, is Coppelia, an ice cream parlour and post-revolutionary symbol of egalitarianism where thousands of lip-smacking Cubans queue each week for their fix of confectionary Nirvana. Calle 23 reaches the unmissable Cementerio Colón, before sweeping down to the Río Almendares. The wide, grandiose Avenida de los Presidentes (G), running southeast from the Malecón, is a stellar of neoclassical, romantic and art nouveau architecture, bisected by leafy streets. Here the paradox of habanero life unfolds – bourgeois homes provide the backdrop to the austerity of communist subsistence. Ailing mansions slump, the gnarled roots of banyon trees rupture pavements, preened pooches strut, pink-humped camellos lumber past queues of locals, and 15-year-old girls, quinceañeras, sashay through Vedado’s manicured parks, decked out like prom queens, in time-honoured celebration of their coming of age. Running parallel to Avenida de los Presidentes, Paseo, thrusts purposefully down to Plaza de la Revolución. Cold, lifeless and bleak, it is a utilitarian complex of government buildings. Still, tourists flock, rightly so, to the awesome, iconic sculptured steel monument to Che Guevara and the cool, ethereal marble statue of José Martí, but, as the site of Fidel’s major speeches, it is frequently transformed into humanity en masse when half of Havana turns out for parades. SightsPlaza de la Revolución Havana's political epicentre, Plaza de la Revolución, is a concrete wasteland of monoliths, incongruously clustered around the ethereal statue of José Martí. Completed just one year before the Revolution, this 17-m statue of the national hero was carved from white marble extracted from La Isla de la Juventud. The base of the monument serves as a platform for Fidel to make his marathon addresses to the masses, frequently invoking the much-quoted maxims of Martí. Usually devoid of life, the plaza comes alive with patriotic zeal for the Día de los Trabajadores (Workers' Day). Decked out in regulation revolutionary branded t-shirts, Habaneros and campesinos, bus loaded in from the provinces, clutch Che flags, and chant nationalist slogans, in a well-orchestrated demonstration of revolutionary allegiance. The plaza was also the site of Pope John Paul II’s mass and address to the Cuban people in 1998. It is alleged Fidel cordoned off sections of the plaza to limit capacity, so as to convey the image of a half empty square, to downplay the Pope's mass appeal. The drab Soviet-style towers contain the state's institutional powerhouse, including the Presidential Palace – HQ of Fidel and the Communist Party machine, the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Defence building. The most arresting is the Ministry of Interior building, adorned with a steel sculpture of Che Guevara, a replica of the iconic image, originally shot in 1960, by the celebrated photographer Alberto Korda. Wearing his famous black beret, wild flowing hair and messianic stare, this potent image of Che came to represent the physical embodiment of the Cuban Revolution. The 30-metre tall steel effigy hangs from the building where Che served as minister, underneath, the motto “Hasta la Victoria Siempre” (Always, Everyday Revolution). Memorial and Museo José Martí Plaza de la Revolución, T 820906/840551. Mon-Sat 0930-1730, Sun 1000-1400. US$3, lookout US$5. The marble obelisk fronted by the José Martí monument was restored in 1996 and reopened as an impressive museum. Dedicated to the life of Cuba's national hero, it provides a detailed and engaging retrospective on Martí's dramatic life, evoked through photography, letters, drawings and other artefacts. Rather less gripping are the displays recounting the tower's construction. Don't miss the lookout accessed by mirrored lift. This is the highest point in the city with good panoramic views of Havana. You should receive a certificate from the lift attendant on your descent. Museo Postal Cubano, Ministry of Communications Plaza de la Revolución, T 705193. Mon-Fri 0900-1600. US$1. A must for dedicated philatelists, the postal museum informatively charts the history of the postal service. There is an extensive collection of Cuban stamps, including the first to be circulated in 1855, and stamps from the world over, including rare examples of the English Penny Black, dating back to 1850, and the story books of José Antonio de Armona (1765). Cementerio Colón Zapata y 12. Rumbos bar opposite the cemetery gates. US$1 entrance and US$1 for good map. The Columbus Cemetery is one of Havana's must see sights. Constructed in 1871, the 56-ha city of the dead, is the second largest cemetery in the world. Soaked in myth, legend and historical significance, it contains a wealth of funerary sculpture, and its ethereal tranquillity is a heavenly relief after the utilitarianism of nearby Plaza de la Revolución. The cemetery was designed by Spanish architect Calixto de Lloira y Cardosa, who ironically became the first inhabitant of his creation, when he died at the age of 33, shortly after the project's completion. The entrance gateway, an awesome neo-Gothic representation of the Holy Trinity, leads to a grid of avenues flanked by extravagant tombs and mausoleums, and culminating in the stunning Capilla, (chapel), centrepiece. Here lie members of the sugar plantocracy and US capitalists, turning in their graves no doubt at being buried alongside revolutionary freedom fighters and literary heroes, including Máximo Gómez, Haydée Santamaría and Alejo Carpentier. Calle 3, entre f y G Amelia de Milagrosa died in childbirth in 1901 and was buried with her baby at her side. When the body was exhumed years later, the baby was found in her arms. Each year thousands visit the grave of this legend, known as La Milagrosa, in search of miracles. Symbolic offerings are laid alongside the grave: baby clothes for infertility; flowers for ill health; and, bizarrely, toy cars for financial woes. Voyeuristic tour groups mix and mingle with the devout, in search of a shot rather than a miracle. Calle 8 entre f y G The leader of the Orthodox Party, Eduardo Chibás killed himself during a live radio broadcast in protest against the rampant corruption in Cuban politics. A shrine to revolutionary martyrdom, Chibás' grave also marks the spot where Fidel's oratory odyssey was initiated; using Chibás' grave as a platform, he delivered a fire and brimstone speech on the institutionalised evil of the establishment. Casa de la Amistad Paseo 406 entre 17 y 19, T 303114. Dating from 1926, this elegant coral-pink renaissance-style mansion, with lush gardens and art deco interior, is now operated by ICAP (Cuban Institute for Friendship among the Peoples) and houses the Amistur travel agency. On the ground floor of the house there is a gallery with rotating exhibits of plastic arts from Cuban and international artists. There is also a shop (0930-1800), selling antiques and reproductions, jewellery and souvenir knick-knacks. There is a reasonably priced bar with plenty of lazy day tunes courtesy of the resident quartet, and a cafeteria, where you can eat on the balcony overlooking the garden, serving consistently good food with large portions. There are two menus: one has lobster and shrimp; the other is a house menu. Indoors is the Primavera restaurant, elegant furniture and expensive. Dance classes can be arranged with Domingo Pau, principal dancer and choreographer with the Ballet Folklórico Nacional, priced at US$200 for a 10-day course, which includes two-three hours of classes per day and plenty of chance to practise by night. Museo de Artes Decorativas Calle 17 502 esquina E, T 308037. Tue-Sat 1100-1830. US$2. Housed in a French Renaissance-style mansion since 1964, the Museum of Decorative Arts has at its disposal more than 30,000 works, including European art dating back to the reign of Louis XV, and a striking display of Oriental art spanning the 16th-20th centuries. The mansion was originally designed by Alberto Camacho (1924-27) for José Gómez Mena's daughter, from one of Cuba's wealthiest families. Most of the building materials were imported from France. In the 1930s the mansion was occupied by Gómez' sister, María Luisa, Condesa de Revilla de Camargo, who was a fervent collector of fine art and held elegant society dinners and receptions for guests including the Duke of Windsor and Wallace Simpson. Her valuable collections were found in the basement after the family fled Cuba following the Revolution. The interior decoration was by House of Jansen and her furniture included a desk that had belonged to Marie Antoinette. Permanent exhibition halls with works from the 16th to 20th centuries including ceramics, porcelain (Sèvres, Chantilly and Wedgwood), furniture (Boudin, Simoneau, Chippendale and Riesener) and paintings. The Regency-inspired dining room is recommended viewing, exquisitely upholstered with Italian marble and featuring 18th-century Aubusson tapestries, Martinot clockworks, bronze candelabras and Chinese figurines. There is an extravagant collection of dinner services, including that of José Martí. The attendants are very knowledgeable and informative about the exhibits, but only in Spanish. Parque John Lennon Calle 17 entre 6 y 8. The recently re-landscaped and renamed John Lennon Park features a bronze statue of The Beatles’ singer sitting on a bench, sculpted by José Villa, who also sculpted the Che Guevara monument at the Palacio de los Pioneros in Tarará, in the Playas del Este area. Evocative words from Lennon's song Imagine have been translated into Spanish, "dirás que soy un soñador, pero no soy el único" (You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one), and etched on the ground. It was inaugurated in December 2000, attended by Fidel Castro and Silvio Rodríguez (singer/songwriter and founder of the movement of La Nueva Trova). Recent theft of the statue's glasses has meant there is a 24-hour security guard and the replacement glasses have been permanently fixed in place. Classical guitar concerts are sometimes held here. There is a Bobby Sands memorial in Victor Hugo park, Calle 21 entrey I, or rather a monument to the 10 hunger strikers who died in 1981in the Maze Prison H-Block in Northern Ireland. The marble monument was inaugurated by Castro and Gerry Adams, Northern Ireland’s Sinn Féin president and British MP, in December 2001. Museo de la Danza Calle G (Presidentes) esquina Línea, T 8312198. Tue-Sat 1100-1830. US$2, guided tour US$1. Dedicated to the rich, dramatic life of Alicia Alonso, the Museum of Dance houses an interesting array of items from the dancer's personal collection and from the Ballet Nacional de Cuba. A plethora of costumes, leotards, documents, photos, trophies and medals testify to the personal and professional accomplishments of the most influential Cuban dancer and director of all time, renowned for her superb technique, classical style, and spirit of vulnerability and defiance. The high point of the museum is the bust of Alicia, sculpted by Carlos Enríquez as a homage to Alicia for her 82nd birthday. The museum also houses an impressive collection of modern Cuban art, including works by Choco, Nelsón Domínguez, Portocarrero and Zaida del Río. Museo Napoleónico San Miguel 1159 esquina Ronda, T 791460/412. Mon-Sat 1000-1800, Sun 0900-1230. US$3. Houses 7,000 pieces from the private collection of sugar baron, Julio Lobo: paintings and other works of art, a specialized library and a collection of weaponry. Check out the tiled fencing gallery. Casa de las Américas Calle G (Presidentes) esquina 5, http://www.casa.cult.cu Tue-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 0900-1300. US$2. Housed in a sleek art-deco style tower fronting the Malecón, the Casa de las Américas was founded in 1959 by Haydée Santamaría for pan-American cultural promotion and interchange. This active and welcoming centre hosts a varied programme of seminars, workshops and investigative studies, in addition to running its own publishing house. Temporary exhibitions of high calibre artworks from all corners of Latin America are assembled in the Galería Latinoamericana. The Sala Contemporánea, boasts a fine ensemble of contemporary Cuban art. Renowned visiting Latino literati, including Gabriel García Márquez, have had kudos-boosting impact on this well-respected institution. On the ground floor is the Librería Rayuela book and music shop, in addition to a smaller peso bookstall. Housed next door is another Latin American artistic showcase, Galería Haydée Santamaría, which houses more than 6,000 works of art, representing mostly 20th-century styles including sculptures, engravings and photography exhibits. The gallery was renovated with the help of the city of Seville and reopened in 1999. Coppelia Calle 23 y L, opposite Hotel Habana Libre. In theory, kiosks open 24 hrs, but in reality, Tue-Sun 1100-2230. Ice cream is the passion of the masses. The one-time pleasure preserve of the bourgeoisie, Cubans wait and salivate, on average for more than an hour, for their daily ritual. Making up for decades of deprivation, they indulge with a frenzy, shunning cones on the go in favour of dollop upon dollop of ice cream, served atop slabs of cake and drenched with sauces. A visit to Coppelia is a must, as much for the ice cream as for the people-watching potential. The parlour shot to fame as a setting for Tomás Gutiérrez Alea's 1993 seminal film Fresa y Chocolate. Revolutionary in design and concept, the uber-parlour, set among leafy gardens, occupies a whole block. Designed by Mario Girona in 1966, and based on an idea by Celia Sánchez Manduley, heroine of the Sierra Maestra, it exemplifies the architectural creativity of the post-Revolution years. Refurbished in 1998, it has a capacity for 707 seated ice cream lovers. The José Martí Sports Ground El Malecón entre Presidentes y J. The José Martí sports ground, at the seaward end of Avenida de los Presidentes, is a good example of post-revolutionary architecture; built in 1961, it shows a highly imaginative use of concrete, painted in primary colours. Monumento al Maine El Malecón Close to Hotel Nacional, the Monumento al Maine is a tribute to the 265 men who were killed when the USS Maine warship exploded in the bay in 1898. When revolutionary zeal took hold in 1959, the eagle was broken off from the top of the monument. The plaque erected by Fidel reads "To the victims of the Maine, sacrificed by imperialist greed in its determination to sieze the island of Cuba". The Tribuna Anti-Imperialista José Martí built during the Elián González affair shows a statue of Martí holding his son Ismaelillo and pointing towards the US Interests Section fronted by a veil of mirrored glass windows and patrolled by Cuban military personnel. The famous billboard, with a fanatical Uncle Sam towering menacingly over a young Cuban patriot, has been relocated behind the Interests Section.
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