Old Havana

World Heritage Site and Municipality of Havana, Cuba

Key facts

Country: Cuba
Province: Havana
Founded: November 16, 1519
Wards consejos populares: Belén , Catedral , Jesús María , Plaza Vieja , Prado , San Isidro , Tallapiedra
Total: 4 km (1.5 sq mi)
Elevation: 50 m (160 ft)
Density: 20,000/km (52,000/sq mi)
Time zone: UTC-5 ( EST )
Area code: +53-7
Official name: Old Havana and its Fortification System
Type: Cultural
Criteria: iv, v
Designated

Article

Old Havana (Spanish: La Habana Vieja) is the city-center (downtown) and one of the 15 municipalities (or boroughs) forming Havana, Cuba. It has the second highest population density in the city and contains the core of the original city of Havana. The positions of the original Havana city walls are the modern boundaries of Old Havana.

In 1982, Old Havana was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List, because of its unique Baroque and neoclassical architecture, its fortifications, and its historical importance as a stop on the route to the New World. A safeguarding campaign was launched a year later to restore the authentic character of the buildings.