Lomé – Independence, Culture and Tropical Greenery

If you’re looking for a hotel in Lomé, you can shape your trip around the topics that interest you most. The city offers ways to explore Togo’s independence history, historical and ethnographic themes, tropical greenery and local dishes. This means that Lomé can be seen through everything from monuments and museum collections to parks and cuisine.

Independence and History

The Monument de l’Indépendance commemorates Togo’s independence on 27 April 1960. This followed 75 years of rule, initially mainly by Germany and then by France. This sequence places the monument in the context of the country’s independence history. It stands on a two-hectare green esplanade, which also gives the memorial site a landscaped character.

In the wider region, the coast of Lomé was a site of the triangular trade and colonial trade relations.

The Musée national and its collections

The Musée national, a history and ethnography museum, is located in the Palais des Congrès in Lomé. Since opening in 1974, it has displayed historical remains, ethnographic objects from Togo’s peoples, and documents and photographs relating to Togo’s first contacts with Europe, the colonial period, the struggle for independence and the leaders of independent Togo. Some documents in the collection also cover the slave trade on the Côte des Esclaves and in Togo. The collection therefore includes material evidence as well as visual and written records relating to several periods in the country’s history.

Palais de Lomé and its park

The Palais de Lomé was built in the late 19th century. It served in succession as a governor’s palace, a residence for high-ranking guests and, briefly, as the seat of government. This sequence shows how the building’s function changed over time. The palace park is home to large, centuries-old tropical trees and diverse biodiversity. The building’s history and the features of its park offer two different perspectives on the Palais.

Local cuisine in Lomé

Local cuisine also offers a distinct way to experience Lomé. Local specialties include Djinkoumè, made from maize, and Foufou, made from yam or cassava. If food is among your travel interests, these two dishes offer a concrete starting point for exploring Lomé’s cuisine.

Maritime: regional historical context

In the wider Maritime destination, Agbodrafo is home to Maison Wood, also known as Maison des Esclaves. The Afro-Brazilian-style building was constructed shortly after 1835 and occupied by John Wood, a Scottish merchant. The house is about 21 m long and 10 m wide, with six rooms and a salon. A cellar 1.50 m deep extends along the entire perimeter of the building.

Aného, also in the wider Maritime destination, is an old town near the border with Benin, about 50 km east of Lomé. The town has been involved in transatlantic trade since the 15th century. Aného has many colonial buildings, including German ones. The old buildings bear witness to the first contacts with European sailors and merchants, as well as to the colonial period.

For the wider travel overview: Golfe.