In the heart of Old Havanawhere Oficios and Muralla streets intersect, you will find a haven of peace in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city. Its name pays tribute to a great universal figure and resonates with adventure and science: Alejandro de Humboldt Park.
Well far away, both in size and distance, from the natural park of the same name located in the eastern end of Cuba, this Havana space, although modest in size, is not devoid of history and charm. As a green antechamber to the Casa Alejandro de Humboldt Museum, it establishes a silent dialogue between urban nature and the memory of the city.
The park commemorates a giant of science: the German naturalist and explorer Alexander of Humboldt. His relevant work in Cuba, where he meticulously documented both its geography and nature as well as the society of the early 19th century, marked a turning point in the island and its international dissemination, to the point that he is recognized as the “second discoverer of Cuba.”
Next to the nearby museum also dedicated to Humboldtthis small corner of the city perpetuates his legacy and invites us to remember a man whose curiosity knew no boundaries. His effigy, the work of the Cuban sculptor José Vilalta de Saavedra, presides over the park with solemnity.
Along with the bust of Humboldt, the park commemorates other figures of science and history, while offering an opportunity practically unique in its surroundings for tranquility and contemplation. With its trees, gardens and benches, it invites you to rest from the daily hustle and bustle or the tourist walk, while, just a few meters away, city life continues with its usual rhythm.
Its calm atmosphere is complemented by the presence of stray dogs and cats, which find refuge there, in the care of neighbors and visitors. All of this reinforces the warmth and exceptionality of a place that, although it is not immune to the crisis, offers an intimate and welcoming embrace of history, science and humanity in the historic center of Havana.
This is how our correspondent presents it to us Otmaro Rodríguez on his usual Sunday photo tour.
