Maputo: City History, Museums and Markets

Maputo showcases its history in different ways: at the railway museum in the station, in collections devoted to currency and nature, and at markets featuring crafts and music. This diversity is a good starting point for planning your trip. Consider whether city history, museums, architecture or market life should be your main focus. This priority can also help guide your search for a holiday apartment in Maputo.

Museums: Railways, Art and Nature

The CFM Museum is located at Maputo Central Railway Station. Its purpose is to present and interpret the history of Mozambique’s ports and railways. It offers guided tours of the permanent exhibition and station building, as well as themed studios, workshops and other special programmes. The museum runs programmes for school pupils, university students, teachers and researchers. These specifically named groups underline its educational focus; at the same time, the museum’s main subject is the country’s transport and port history.

The Banco de Moçambique Museum takes a different approach. Its subject areas are devoted to the history of the bank and Mozambique; it also has an art gallery with a collection dating back to the 1960s. This brings institutional history and art together under one roof.

At the Museu de História Natural, the focus shifts to natural history. The museum has been housed since 1933 in a building constructed by the city administration and inspired by the Manueline style. Its collection includes preserved specimens: 200 mammals, more than 10,000 birds, over 170,000 insects, 1,250 invertebrates and 150 reptiles. These collection figures may change.

Buildings and Markets in Maputo

Casa Amarela was built in 1860 and is considered the first brick house in the city of Lourenço Marques, now Maputo. It houses the Museu Nacional da Moeda, which is administered by Universidade Eduardo Mondlane. Its collection comprises around 4,300 coins, coin-like objects, banknotes and medals, including 1,000 related to Mozambique. Casa de Ferro houses the Ministério da Cultura e do Turismo.

The Mercado Municipal de Maputo, known as the Bazar, also connects the city’s history with a distinctive architectural detail: it was designed by David de Carvalho and built with iron elements imported from Belgium. Its attribution and materials give the market its own architectural significance.

FEIMA, the Feira de Artesanato, Flores e Gastronomia de Maputo, is a crafts, flowers and gastronomy fair held on the green grounds of Parque dos Continuadores. As an open-air market, it offers crafts and live music. Items for sale include home accessories, costume jewellery, colourful capulanas, considered typical women’s clothing, and accessories. It takes place on the last weekend of each month; check the specific event dates for your travel period.

Tours and Travel Planning

The guided “Top Ten” tour includes stops at Casa de Ferro, Jardim Tunduro, Mercado Central and Maputo railway station, among other places. These stops offer another way to see the city, alongside the individual museum and market themes.

Planning therefore involves different kinds of activities: a guided tour, FEIMA with its monthly schedule, and museums with their own thematic focuses. If you want markets and tours to shape your stay, include the specific event dates in your travel plans. When searching for a holiday apartment in Maputo, you could first decide whether to organise your days around a fixed activity or around the subjects that interest you most.

Discover more destinations: Praia Do Bilene, Ibo, Mocimboa Da Praia, Inhaca, Atolo, Inhambane, Vilankulo, Beira.

For the main travel overview: Mozambique.