Tour of the Capitol Building Attracts Locals and Foreigners

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 19 (ACN) Havana's Capitol building has welcomed an average of 300 visitors, mostly Cubans, a day since its reopening last March 1st.

The President of San Cristobal S.A. Travel Agency, Orlando Ramos highlighted the large number of local visitors to the city's emblematic building that has been in a restoration process for the last several years.

In exclusive statements to the Cuban News Agency, Ramos said that the tours will maintain its current design in April although there will be an entrance fee of 10 CUP (Cuban Pesos) and 10 CUC (Convertible Pesos) for foreigners.

He recalled that these tours will be guided public visits, both in Spanish and English, in groups of no more than 15 persons during five different times in the day from Tuesday to Saturday. They will have two shifts on Sunday mornings.

Wednesday afternoon will be dedicated to institutional tours and must be reserved through the Information Center of the Cultural Programming Directive of the Office of the City Historian, at 78011135.

Another announcement is that starting April the Capitol building will be closed the last week every two months for cleanliness, conservation and preventive maintenance of all its sculptures and floors.

With the objective of increasing the quality of the service, San Cristobal Agency will improve technologies like the system of guides, wireless audio equipment destined to foreigners in order to cover other languages like German, French, Italian and Russian.

The itinerary, a one-hour tour, includes the current Capitol area, Salon de los Pasos Perdidos and other important historic areas.

During the tour, which begins at the Cripta del Mami Desconocido, one can appreciate the restoration work of the Dome and the southern part of the installation which is expected to conclude in its work on the anniversary of the
City of Havana in 2019.

According to Ramos, to organize the visits it was necessary to establish access shirts made up by groups with a specific number of people in order to appreciate the greatness and splendor of the work without a negative impact on the heritage that the Capitol building treasures.

He added in the need to maintain a responsible behavior, inside and outside the building in order to preserve the high value heritage objects that has been refurbished by the City Historians Office.

Located in the centric Paseo del Prado Avenue, this building opened its doors in 1929 and is today the headquarters of the National Assembly of the Peoples Power.