When is the best time to visit?
A subtropical climate, the temperatures in Brazzaville are high the whole year round, mostly around 26-28 C, with February being "hot season" at around 31 C. A large factor to consider when travelling to Brazzaville however, is rainfall. Brazzaville has a wet climate, with high levels of rainfall particularly in spring and autumn. The summer months however, are often very dry. The celebrations for Independence Day, on August 15th are a great time to be in Brazzaville, where you can join in the festivities.
Why visit?
The capital of the Republic of Congo, (not to be confused with its neighbour the Democratic Republic of Congo), Brazzaville was, in relative terms, a thriving and prosperous city until the onset of the civil war in 1997. Today, the city is safe to visit, despite having its infrastructure run down by the fighting in those troubled times, and is a pleasant place to spend a few days. Brazzaville is the main entry point to the Republic of Congo, and many tourists use the city as a place to acclimatise and make arrangements before heading off to Pointe Noire or into the rainforests. That being said, Brazzaville has several places of interest for visitors to enjoy. Built in 1949 by French architect Roger Erell, St Anne's Basilica, with its green tiled roof, is arguably one of the most beautiful modern churches in the world. Erell also designed a residence in Brazzaville for Charles de Gaulle. The National Museum of Congo offers visitors an excellent, but somewhat sombre account of the country's past. The market of Poto Poto in Brazzaville's West African quarter is superb, and to get a taste of Brazzaville's nightlife, take a wander around the Bakongo neighbourhood, where you'll find street food and plastic chairs and tables in abundance, as well as high spirited locals. Also worth checking out are the Palais du Peuple, a splendid colonial palace, built in 1901 and the Nabemba Tower is the country's tallest building. The School of Painting in Poto Poto, Marien Ngouabi Mausoleum and Brazzaville Zoo are also worth seeing.