El Capitolio, Havana

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I have had more than one Cuban describe the Capitol as being "like the White House, in the United States". They are very proud of it, as they should be. And it does remind me of the Congress Building. For a price of 3CUC (plus another 2CUC for your camera!) you can tour the inside of the building; we weren't interested enough to do this. We only had a day and wanted to see as many areas of the city as we could.

The street in front of the Capitol is crazy busy, be very careful crossing it!

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El capitolio nacional located in the heart of the centre of Havana is the most important building of Paseo de Marti which is the road that leads from the Capitolio itself to the Castill de la Punta.
It has been built in 1929 during the dictatorship of Gerardo Machado and at a first sight it may appear similar to the one in Washington.
Its dome shaped roof is 30 meters high and you really can notice it from almost everywhere in the centre of the town.
Inside you have museums and internet connection but it's closed on sunday.

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A smaller version of the Capitol building in Washington DC, it was built between 1926 & 1929. On entering the foyer you are greeted by a 17m statue covered in 22-carat gold leaf. Embedded in the floor infront is a copy of a 24-carat diamond, don't forget to look upwards at the dome. It's then possible to walk round parts of the building, gaze into the vast library, the Chamber of Deputies & walk through the Hall of Lost Steps.

The admission fee was 3 CUC.

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El Capitolio, or the National Capitol Building in Havana, Cuba, was the seat of government in Cuba until after the Cuban Revolution in 1959, and is now home to the Cuban Academy of Sciences. Its design and name recall the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., but it is only superficially similar. Completed in 1929, it was the tallest building in Havana until the 1950s and houses the world's third largest indoor statue.

If you want to go see Capitolio but are sick of entering old builings and paying money, go to the second floor restaurant terrace with view of Park and Cine Payret.
They have a reasonable selection of Spanish, Chilean, and Cuban wines and you have to go into the Capitolio to use the bathroom. So take your time and try to duck out from the bathrrom babushkas to catch a glimpse of the interiors.

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Resembling Washington D.C.'s Capital Building, EL CAPITOLIO is located on Paseo de Marti, across from Central Park. It was the last stop on our tour.
Built in 1929, El Capitolio features a wide stone staircase which leads to the main entrance. Two bronze statues flank each side of the top of the staircase - one dedicated to labour and one to virtue.
Entrance fee was 3 CUC

No, you're not in Washington, although you can be forgiven for being mistaken. The Capitolio was once the seat of Cuba's House of Reperesentatives, between its opening in 1929 and the ascension of Fidel Castro to power in 1959. It was opened by dictator Gerardo Machado and was quite obviously modeled after the US Capitol as well as the basilica of Saint Pierre de Rome and Les Invalides in Paris (the US and France being two great influences in the development of modern Cuban culture). The Capitolio was designed by Italian architect Zanelli and it includes, inside, the statute of the Republic, the third largest indoor statue in the world (17 m).

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El Capitolio, used as the Cuban parliament building from 1929 to 1960, is spectacular and breathtakingly huge both inside and out. Modeled after the White House, its huge entrance roughly 60 stairs up from the street is framed by massive columns and statues, and looking at the view back down to the street after the climb is an amazing experience.

A tour of the cavernous interior took us about an hour, and was well worth the visit. The first hall contains the world's third largest indoor statue, La Estatua de la Republica, standing 15 metres tall. Embedded in the floor is a replica of the 25-carat diamond once placed there to mark kilometre zero. On either side of the main hall is the Salon de Pasos Perdidos, or Hall of Lost Steps, named for its vast open design and the resulting echo acoustics.

The parliament room stands out as a highlight, and each room is unique and covered in ornate detail. There's a hall with photos detailing the construction and history of El Capitolio which was also really interesting. The sheer size of the rooms and the beautifully detailed and painted vaulted ceilings make the place truly incredible. Don't miss it! Open Mon-Sat 900-1900, Sun 900-1500, 3.00 CUC +2.00 CUC to take photos.