Yamoussoukro
Côte d'Ivoire · 213 m
Description
Yamoussoukro is the official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, moved here in 1983 because it was the birthplace of the first president, and the result is a small town laid out with eight-lane boulevards that carry almost no traffic. Its one overwhelming sight is the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, a copy of St Peter's in Rome scaled up to be larger, consecrated in 1990 and recognised by the Guinness records as the largest church in the world. It seats seven thousand with standing room for eleven thousand more in a town of two hundred thousand people.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: August or November – February
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, the largest church in the world
- Basilica stained glass and its colonnade
- Presidential Palace crocodile lake
- Houphouët-Boigny Foundation for Peace
- Empty eight-lane boulevards of the planned capital
- Kossou Lake and the flooded villages(Day trip)
- Saint Augustine's Mosque
- Baoulé craft villages around the town(Day trip)
Getting there
- Airports:
- ASK