Maputo reveals itself through a variety of cultural perspectives: the CFM Museum connects the history of Mozambique’s ports and railways with its station building, while other collections focus on art, history and natural history. Markets and guided city tours complement these museum offerings. When choosing accommodation in Maputo, it may therefore be worth first considering what kind of cultural activities you would like to include in your trip.
Railway History and Architecture
The CFM Museum is located in Maputo railway station. Its mission is to present and share the history of Mozambique’s ports and railways. Its offerings include tours of the permanent exhibition and station building, as well as themed studios, workshops and other special programs. The experience therefore ranges from the museum exhibition to the station building. Programs are available for school pupils, university students, teachers and researchers. If you plan to join a tour or special program, check the current schedule in advance.
Another perspective on architectural history can be found at the Mercado Municipal de Maputo, also known as the Bazar. The market building was designed by David de Carvalho and constructed with iron components imported from Belgium. Alongside the market activity, this makes the building’s architect and the origin of its components a focus of interest. The Bazar complements the railway history of the CFM Museum with its own architectural perspective.
Museums: History, Art and Natural History
The Banco de Moçambique Museum covers the history of the bank and Mozambique in its themed sections. It also has an art gallery with a collection dating back to the 1960s. For a cultural itinerary in Maputo, this offers a different focus from the CFM Museum: the emphasis here is on banking history, national history and art.
The Natural History Museum in Maputo offers another perspective. Its collection includes taxidermied animals: 200 mammals, more than 10,000 birds, over 170,000 insects, 1,250 invertebrates and 150 reptiles. The collection figures may change. In contrast to the historical and artistic themes of the Banco Museum, the focus here is on animal groups and their varying numbers. If you choose museums based on their subject matter, this contrast makes the choice between cultural and natural history more concrete.
City Tour and Fair
The “Top Ten” guided tour includes stops at Casa de Ferro, Jardim Tunduro, Mercado Central and Maputo railway station, among other places. Rather than focusing on a single collection, the tour features several named locations. If you plan to take the tour, ask in advance about current dates and availability.
FEIMA in Maputo is a handicrafts, flowers and food fair featuring crafts and live music. It takes place on the last weekend of every month. This makes it a different kind of visit from one chosen solely for its museum offerings: check whether the recurring fair dates coincide with your travel dates. Together with the Mercado Municipal, FEIMA also offers a different type of market: the focus here is on the fair’s crafts, flowers and food sections.
Discover more destinations: Inhaca, Mocimboa Da Praia, João, Pemba, Miramar, Atolo, Inhambane, Praia Do Bilene.
For the main travel overview: Mozambique.
