Gitega
Burundi · Gitega Province · 1660 m
Description
Gitega sits on the central plateau at over sixteen hundred metres and is the political capital of Burundi as well as its old royal one, cooler and quieter than the lake city. The national museum here is the country's main ethnographic collection. The real draw is Gishora, a sanctuary on a hill a few kilometres north where the sacred drums are kept and where the Abatimbo drummers perform, carrying the heavy drums on their heads and playing, dancing and leaping around the lead drum. The ritual dance is inscribed by UNESCO, and a performance has to be arranged in advance.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: June – August
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Gishora drum sanctuary and the Abatimbo drummers(Day trip)
- National Museum of Gitega
- Gitega central market
- Remnants of the royal court of Mwezi Gisabo(Day trip)
- Cathedral and the German colonial quarter
- Marian sanctuary of Mugera(Day trip)
- Tea hills of Kibimba and Mwaro(Day trip)
- Agaseke basket and craft workshops
- Rural markets of the eastern plateau(Day trip)
Getting there
- Nearest airports:
- BJM