Plaza Vieja, La Habana

Come and discover Havana's Plaza Vieja, one of the main colonial plazas in Old Havana, Cuba

Plaza Vieja Square, Havana
©Tai Pan of HK.

The Plaza Vieja, designed in 1559, is the most striking plaza in Havana from an architectural point of view. It is located in Old Havana and, in it, the Cuban baroque coexists with the Art Nouveau inspired by the Gaudinian style. However, after a thorough rehabilitation, modernist architecture elements are mixed with the colonial buildings, giving life to a remarkably beautiful plaza.

Fountain in Plaza Vieja Square.
©Tai Pan of HK.

Plaza Vieja Square ©Tai Pan of HK.

Originally the square was known as Plaza Nueva and was used for military exercises, carnivals, proclamations and whatever the social vicissitudes of the time. Later, it was used as an open-air market known as Reina Cristina. Nowadays, it is dotted with restaurants, cafes, bars and beer gardens, a great place to stop on your way through Old Havana.

Today, Havana's Plaza Vieja is colorful and in its prime. Here you can find interesting places such as the Cámara Oscura, an ingenious optical device from which you can enjoy beautiful views of the city from the top of its 35-meter tower for only 2 CUC; or the Palacio Cueto (Cueto Palace), the finest example of Art Nouveau in Havana.

Just behind the square you can see the baroque Palacio del Conde de San Juan de Jaruco (Conde de San Juan de Jaruco’s Palace), built in the 17th century and owned by Don Gabriel Beltrán de Santa Cruz y Aranda, who obtained the noble title in 1768 for his exploits against the English.

The Plaza Vieja and the streets around it have beautiful galleries, very typical of Havana, with semicircular arches and stained glass windows.

In the surroundings of this square there are interesting places like the Planetario (Planetarium), the Fototeca de Cuba (Photographic Gallery of Cuba), the Museo de Naipes (Museum of Cards), the Centro de Arte La Casona (Art Center La Casona), or the Centro Cultural Pablo de la Torriente (Brau Cultural Center Pablo de la Torriente Brau).

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What to see in Old Havana

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