MAPUTO TRAIN STATION - CFM MUSEUM

The original station has been preserved, and is magnificent. This imposing building, strongly imbued with the French Victorian and Art Nouveau style, all white and pastel green, was built in 1910 to plans by Gustave Eiffel or one of his engineers. Its dome and clock on the elaborate facade seem almost familiar in their curves and style. Under its immense volumes, you can admire ornate ceilings, wrought-iron structures, columns, sculpted doors and Portuguese azulejos. Inside, the museum of the CFM, the Mozambican railroad company, opened its doors in 2015, after a thorough renovation of the building. Here you can admire old locomotives from the ^19th century and trains from all eras. You'll discover (in Portuguese and English) the history of the country's stations and ports, from colonial times to the present day, including the vicissitudes of each era, especially the wars of independence and the civil war. The museum is well documented on the Modern Age of steel and coal, when the train was at the heart of the global industrial revolution. The station is also the venue for many cultural events: readings, temporary exhibitions, concerts, fashion shows, dance, theater... Ask for the program! Nearby, don't miss a visit to the Galeria, another of the city's multicultural venues, due to open in 2020.