Franceville
Gabon · Haut-Ogooué · 440 m
Description
Franceville sits at the far end of the Trans-Gabon railway, a green upland town of wide avenues built up when manganese mining made the province rich. Brazza founded it in 1880 as a settlement for freed slaves. The real reason to come lies an hour east at Lékoni, where erosion has cut a canyon of ochre and rust-red pinnacles out of the sandstone above the grassland, best seen when the low sun colours the walls. The Lékoni reserve nearby keeps rescued gorillas and mandrills. The international research centre in town has studied Ebola and primate disease since the 1970s.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: June – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Lékoni Canyon(Day trip)
- Lékoni reserve with gorillas and mandrills(Day trip)
- Arrival on the Trans-Gabon railway
- Poubara suspension bridge of lianas
- Poubara falls on the Ogooué
- Marché de Potos
- Plateaux Batéké grassland
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales
- Ogooué riverbank walks
- Cathédrale Saint-Hilaire
- Manganese cableway at Moanda(Day trip)
- Grilled meat and Batéké dishes at the market stalls
- Sunset over the canyon rim(Day trip)
Getting there
- Airports:
- MVB
- Train stations:
- Franceville