Port Louis, Capital city in Mauritius
Description
Port Louis is the capital of Mauritius on the northwestern coast of the island and combines office towers, administrative buildings and a busy harbor quarter. The city extends between the ocean and the mountains, with covered markets, 18th-century colonial structures and modern shopping districts in different neighborhoods.
History
French colonists established the settlement in 1736 as a naval base and developed it into a junction for trade between Asia and Europe. After the British takeover in 1810, the city remained an administrative center and grew through sugar exports in the 19th century.
Culture
The name Port Louis honors King Louis XV of France and recalls the French colonial period, while today the city brings together temples, mosques, churches and pagodas throughout its streets. This religious variety shows itself especially in the neighborhood around the Jummah Mosque and Saint Louis Cathedral, where worshippers of different faiths gather daily.
Practical
The area around the central market can get very crowded in the mornings, while the waterfront promenade brings in a cooler breeze from the ocean in the late afternoon. Many streets in the business district lie on flat ground, while residential neighborhoods on the slopes run steeper.
Did you know?
Fort Adelaide on a hill above the city was built in the 1830s but never used for military purposes. The local name Citadelle refers to its original role as a lookout post over the harbor and the lower town.
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Aapravasi Ghat
434 m
Central Market
208 m
Caudan Waterfront
476 m
Jummah Mosque
360 m
Blue Penny Museum
580 m
Bank of Mauritius Tower
120 m
Municipal City Council of Port Louis
255 m
National Library of Mauritius
346 m
Mauritius Telecom Tower
279 m
Mauritius Postal Museum
305 m
Umbrella Square
512 m
State Bank Tower
158 m
Port Louis Photography Museum
210 m
Theatre of Port-Louis
207 mMusée de l'immigration chinoise
518 m
Mikado Shell Museum
138 m
Statue of Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais
187 m
Mauritius Supreme Court Library
363 m
Manga Street
538 m
Chinatown Arch
674 m
Leoville L'Homme City Library
284 m
Marie Barthelemy
221 mLéoville L'Homme
178 mChinatown Arch
444 mCafe du vieux conseil
214 mNicolas Baudin
561 mWork of art, sculpture
560 mStatue, memorial, tourist attraction
268 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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