The Museo del Ferrocarril (Train Museum) of Havana is located in the old Cristina Station, built in 1859. The museum exhibits a great collection of old locomotives, photographs, and signaling materials, as well as an interesting review of the Cuban trains history. Cuba was one of the first countries in the world to build a rail network, and the trains on the island began to run at least a decade before those in Spain. In this museum you’ll find steam engine locomotives for broad and narrow rails, as well as diesel and electric locomotives. One of the most important items in the museum is the La Junta de Fomento Locomotive, bought in the US in 1842. The museum also houses an area which reproduces the operations room of a train station in the first half of the 20th century; and a Railway Modelling Room which exhibits scale models of stations and railway equipments.

Fuente de La India (La India Fountain) is located in a circus in front of the El Capitolio and Saratoga Hotel, in the city of Havana. The fountain is made in Carrara marble and was sculpted by Giuseppe Gaggini in 1837 for the Count of Villanueva. This fountain represents a brilliant indigenous woman, adorned with a crown of eagle feathers, sitting on her throne, and surrounding by four dolphins whose tongues are fountain pouring water on four shells composing its base. She holds with her hand a defense with the crest of the city, and a horn-shaped basket filled with fruits. This sculptural work has been an inspiration for several poets, and also appearing in several fantastic tales.

The Santo Ángel Custodio Church was built in 1695, but wasn’t considered a church until 1788. It lies on one of the few and modest hills of the city, called Loma del Ángel. The original church was severely affected by the 1846 hurricane, its tower and the whole of the front and back of the nave were destroyed, so it was completely refurbished in the peculiar gothic style that can be seen today. Currently, the temple has two towers and an atrium where the church’s cemetery was formerly located. The entry doors are in the shape of pointed arches, and in its interior has three naves covered by barrel vault, as well as an ambulatory, the only church in Cuba to contain this feature. Félix Varela and José Martí were baptised in this church. It is also interesting to know that this temple is mentioned in Cecilia Valdés, a great 19th century Cuban novel by Cirilo Villaverde.

The Edificio Bacardí (Bacardí Building) is the first Art Déco building in Havana. It is considered an architectural jewel of its time, as well as one of the best examples of decorative art. Construction finished in 1930, and it was the tallest building on the island at that time. It is said that the building contains marble and granite from almost every nation in Europe. This building has 12 floors, 5 of which are offices for rent, and a total space of 7,031 square meters. Its facade is covered in Baviera red granite and on the top you will see a bat, the symbol of the Bacardí company. At the end of 19th Century, the Bacardi rum was very famous in Cuba and abroad. Its creator, Don Emilio Bacardi, was a Spaniard settled in the island. It is said that he had a bat as a talisman which was used as logo in the first distillery that made him to win fortune. It has a tiered pyramid design, using tiles as a decorative element from Catalonian Modernism, giving the building a wonderful shade effect. The richness of its interior decoration is given mainly by the natural beauty of its marbles, brought from Europe and the typical accessories of Art Deco like lamps, ironworks, drawings, etc. Currently, the building houses Cuban offices, offices for and international companies. The lobby has a bar open to the public and you’ll be able to climb the tower and get a wonderful view over Havana.