What it is
A town of wide empty boulevards in the centre of the country, made the political capital in 1983 by Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who was born here. The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1990, has a dome modelled on St Peter's and is among the largest church buildings anywhere by floor area.
Why go
The scale is the point, and so is the strangeness of it: a marble basilica seating several thousand, with French stained glass, in a town of a few hundred thousand. The presidential palace lake has a resident population of crocodiles that are fed in the afternoon. Beyond those two things there is not much, which is why it works as a stop between Abidjan and the north rather than a destination.
When to go
Three hours from Abidjan on the motorway, so an easy day trip or an overnight. Visit the basilica in the morning; it is quiet, cool inside, and guides are available at the entrance.
Most people stay 1 night.