Rutovu
Burundi · Burunga Province · 2000 m
Description
Rutovu is a ridge village in the southern hills that carries Burundi's best known landmark, a small stone pyramid built by the German explorer Burkhart Waldecker over a spring at Gasumo. The water from it runs into the Ruvyironza, then the Ruvubu and the Kagera, and reaches the Nile through Lake Victoria, which makes this the southernmost headstream of the whole basin rather than the source of the Nile. The stream itself is a trickle a walker steps across. What is worth the drive is the ridge, standing on the divide between the Congo and Nile watersheds with tea estates below.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 day
Travel season
Best time to visit: June – August
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Waldecker pyramid above the Gasumo spring
- Ridge panorama over the Congo Nile divide
- Walk up Mount Gikizi
- Ruvyironza valley drive
- Rutovu village and its roadside market
- Tea estates on the Bururi approach
- Walk down to the Ruvyironza with a guide
Getting there
- Nearest airports:
- BJM