Africa-Press – Angola. Lubango, capital of Huíla province, built in a huge valley at the foot of the Chela mountain range, celebrates 102 years on May 31 since it was elevated to city status today, at a time when local authorities are working to make it one of the country’s main tourist destinations.
The former agricultural village, which initially developed along the Mapunda and Caculuvale rivers, has established itself as the City of Knowledge, Garden of Angola, and Financial, Agricultural, and Industrial Center, but feels that this is no longer enough.
The authorities want to turn Lubango into a real tourist attraction, now that the problems of sanitation and public safety have been overcome, at least in the urban area.
To this end, it has the Lubango Tourist Map and Guide, which took nine months to prepare and was launched this week. It maps the area from the Catholic Mission of Huíla, the commune of the same name, the southeast, the urban area, Senhora do Monte, Cristo Rei, Tundavala, and even the Luyovo monument cemetery.
Of the more than 1,500 tourists who arrive or pass through the municipality each month, 75 percent are foreigners, the region has 1,074 hotel establishments, including 13 hotels, 17 guesthouses, 14 tourist complexes, one tourist resort, 86 hostels, 920 restaurants and similar establishments, and 23 travel agencies. It also has 11 monuments and classified sites.
Lubango is now a city that makes its inhabitants proud and attracts tourists, as it has seen the completion of the first phase of integrated infrastructure construction, works that have left the urban center and 23 neighborhoods cleaner, greener, and paved, in a project that cost 212 million US dollars.
The second phase was launched in May, costing 287 million US dollars, which will complete the work that was missing in the previous stage, covering a total of 10 neighborhoods, with particular emphasis on the outskirts, where there are already signs of these interventions.
Its administrator in Lubango, Lisender André, a 40-year-old lawyer, admitted that to make his municipality a tourist destination of excellence, he needs to take certain measures, such as improving activity, with a greater and more regular supply of health, food, and transportation services, as well as hotels, and making the city more modern, digital, attractive, and connected to the world.
According to the administrator, the Map and Tourist Guide is a step towards making the municipality a tourist destination of choice, given that the guide is a guiding tool for those who wish to visit the city, which has natural potential and a distinctive local history.
Located 1,760 meters above sea level, the city of Lubango is one of the coolest in Angola, with temperatures ranging between 8 and 30 degrees Celsius, allowing for the cultivation of crops that are difficult to produce in the rest of the country, hence its status as a commercial and financial center.
An academic city par excellence, Lubango has regained its status as Angola’s garden city.
Formerly known as Sá da Bandeira, Lubango has been an important settlement since 1885 for Portuguese settlers who arrived from the islands of Madeira, Portugal, attracted by the potential of the climate.
Today, the region is rich in agriculture and livestock, an abundance that is reflected in the variety of gastronomic offerings, including cheeses, sausages, and other ancient local recipes, many of which originated in Portugal.
It is one of Angola’s most important cities, thanks to its status as a travel hub with excellent road and rail links to other provinces, as well as an international airport with flights to Luanda and, until 2022, also to Windhoek, Namibia.
Visitors will find a wealth of history and colonial architecture here, which also makes the city a place where a variety of ethnic groups mix, such as the Ovamuila, the local population, the Ovimbundu, the Nganguelas, and the Kwanhamas.
Unlike many places in Africa, this is a region where multi-ethnic groups coexist peacefully and are visible within the city. Most are nomadic, loyal, proud of their roots and traditional ways of life, distinguished by distinctive colorful clothing, unique and symbolic accessories and hairstyles.
Among the best places to visit in Lubango is the Tundavala Gorge, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Angola, elected by National Seven Wonders in 2013.
It is a breathtaking gorge, just over 16 kilometers northwest of the city center, on the border with Namibe province, through the municipality of Bibala, which can be seen at the top of this tourist area.
Another place is the Lubango Municipal Market, a small but majestic colonial building located in the commercial area of the city center surrounded by a bustle of small shops and a semi-open market in the middle.
The Statue of Christ the King is one of the first things many people see when they arrive in Lubango. Standing 30 meters high, it was built in 1957, based on designs by Portuguese engineer Madeira Frazão Sardinha.
Designated a National Heritage Site since April 2014, this location, just a few minutes’ drive from the city center, is perfect for seeing all of Lubango and understanding the vastness of the city.
Also worth visiting is the Huíla Regional Museum, where the history of the city of Lubango comes to life in a well-preserved collection dating back to 1950, when it was inaugurated.
The permanent exhibition is organized into themed rooms that showcase the habits, customs, beliefs, and traditions of the communities of southern Angola.
However, while life goes on as normal in the urban area of what was considered the Best Municipality in Angola in 2024, crime is rife on the outskirts of the city, where shortages of water and electricity prevail.
The municipality of Lubango has an estimated population of over 1 million inhabitants.
History tells us that the first European contact with people from the region dates back to 1627, although Portuguese sovereignty only began in 1769. It was, in fact, the Dutch who showed the first signs of European settlement, around 1880.
In January 1885, the Portuguese from Madeira founded the colony of Sá da Bandeira, which, on May 31, 1923, achieved city status after the train from Namibe crossed the Leba mountain range and reached the plateau.
Sá da Bandeira was elevated to city status on May 31, 1923, by proclamation at the residence of the General Government in Humpata by the then high commissioner of the then province of Angola, General Norton de Matos, in homage to Marques de Sá da Bandeira.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
