Basilique Sainte-Anne & Brazzaville's Colonial Architecture
The pink Basilique Sainte-Anne du Congo — built by the Spiritan missionaries in 1949 — is Brazzaville's architectural landmark, a peculiar African-Art-Deco hybrid that dominates the city's skyline
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Basilique Sainte-Anne du Congo
The shocking pink basilica with its distinctive twin towers was designed by Roger Erell in a colonial modern style that mixes African motifs with European ecclesiastical architecture
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Cathédrale du Sacré-Coeur
The older Catholic cathedral near the river dates from colonial times - its quieter interior contrasts with the showmanship of Sainte-Anne and reflects an earlier missionary aesthetic
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Quartier des Ministries Colonial Core
The French Colonial Administrative Quarter contains several well-preserved colonial buildings — the wide tree-lined avenues designed by French urban planners in the early 1900s
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Brazzaville as Free French Capital
During World War II, Brazzaville served as de Gaulle's Free French capital – the plaque marking this history connects the city to European memory in an unexpected way
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Memorial of Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza
The original tomb of explorer Pierre de Brazza – who founded the city and signed treaties with local chiefs – was restored as a mausoleum in 2006, a contested memorial in a post-colonial city
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Rond-Point du Plateau
The Plateau District's central roundabout provides the best overview of Brazzaville's colonial urban planning — wide avenues, government buildings and the Congo River in the distance