Maputo Railway Station

Maputo's imposing Train Station is one of the city's landmark buildings. 

The dome was designed by an associate of Alexandre Gustav Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame), although Eiffel himself never set foot in Mozambique. Also impressive are the wrought-iron lattice work, pillars and verandas gracing the exterior. Inside are some old steam engines, and the Chez Rangel Jazz Café (see Drinking), one of the city's best night spots.

Although the station is still in use, trains run infrequently and it's often deserted.

The building of the Maputo Railway Station, is built in front of the “Praça dos Trabalhadores“(meaning workers square), the former Mac-Mahon Square. 

The construction of the “Department of Railway of Lourenço Marques” as it was called in the colonial era, started in 1908 and ended two years later in 1910. 

The project was designed by an Engineer, Alfredo Augusto de Lima, The remarkable bronze dome, founded specially for the building, was constructed in South Africa and its assembly was an innovation for that time. 

The construction of this central station was vital for the region with its operational inauguration and opening on 19 March of 1910, and then the subsequent running of the first train to Lhanguene.

One thing that has been incredibly sad about being a tourist in Maputo is that the tourist attractions all seem quite run down, even worse is the fact that the guides are generally very uneducated about their own history as well as the history and significance of the attractions they take you to.

I have been on a major fact finding mission, armed with the photos I took to try and figure out why all the places I had seen was considered a tourist attraction at all. Only to discover that there is widely very little information even on the net. 

Whoever goes on a Maputo City Tour, needs to understand that they will most probably return to their hotel that day quite disappointed, not because Maputo had nothing to offer, but because no-one has taken the time to really try and make it an interesting experience for a tourist.

The is a overall lack of interest in really creating fun filled, factual information on the history of Mozambique and the places of interest.