You step off Avenue du Musée in the late afternoon and the light catches the art-déco lines of the Palace of Justice, a reminder that Lubumbashi was built as Élisabethville and still wears that architecture openly. A few blocks on, the twin towers of the Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Paul rise above the street, and somewhere beyond, the day's last traffic moves toward the golf course on Route du Golf.
This is a city for travellers who are interested in how a place was put together — colonial buildings, a national collection of regional archaeology and ethnology, a working art centre, and a football club with a following that fills the stands. It suits people who are comfortable making their own arrangements and who would rather spend an afternoon at a zoo or a bowling alley than follow a marked tourist trail.
This guide covers the sights and activities in Lubumbashi that are documented and specific: where they are, what they contain, and how to fit them into a day.
Top things to do in Lubumbashi
1. National Museum of Lubumbashi
Located at 750 Avenue du Musée, the National Museum of Lubumbashi holds a collection of archaeological and ethnological artifacts from the region's history. It is the most direct way to place the city's colonial architecture and mining past in a longer context.
Give it a proper block of time rather than a quick pass, since the collection is the point of the visit. It sits on Avenue du Musée, which makes it a natural first stop before you walk the city centre to look at the colonial buildings.
2. Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Paul
The Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Paul was built in 1910 and is one of the prominent examples of colonial architecture in Lubumbashi, alongside the art-déco Palace of Justice and the Grand Hotel. Several of these buildings have been restored in recent years.
Visit as part of a walk through the city centre rather than as a standalone trip, so you can see the cathedral in the same outing as the other colonial-era buildings nearby.
3. Lubumbashi Zoological Garden
The Lubumbashi Zoological Garden on Boulevard Kamanyola holds several predators, including lions and tigers, as well as a large snake collection and a termites museum. The termites museum is the unusual part and is worth seeking out specifically.
Set aside enough time for both the animal enclosures and the snake and termite displays, which are separate draws within the same site.
4. Waza Art Center & Spilulu'Studio
Waza Art Center & Spilulu'Studio at 588 Av. Adoula runs recordings and mixing sessions and develops exhibitions, publications and other cultural productions. Its stated aim is to foster grassroots experimental artistic practices and promote alternative ways of sharing knowledge and raising consciousness.
Because the programme is built around sessions, exhibitions and publications rather than a fixed display, check what is on before you go so you arrive for something that is actually happening.
5. Cercle Wallon
Cercle Wallon, also known as the Belgium club, is at 2 Avenue de la Révolution. It offers food and a bar, tennis including lessons, and ten-pin bowling.
This is a practical choice for an evening or a rainy afternoon, and the tennis lessons make it an option if you want to play rather than just watch.
6. Lubumbashi Golf Club
The Lubumbashi Golf Club on Route du Golf was designed in 1934 and hosts numerous competitions each year. It is open for guests.
Combine it with a look at the city's other colonial-era institutions if you are tracing how Élisabethville was laid out, and plan around the competition calendar if you want to see the course in use.
7. Watch a TP Mazembe football game
Watching one of football club TP Mazembe's games is one of the city's standing activities. A match is a straightforward way to spend an afternoon with a Lubumbashi crowd.
Build your day around the fixture rather than the other way round, since the rest of your sightseeing can be arranged around kick-off.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the National Museum of Lubumbashi on 750 Avenue du Musée, then walk the city centre to see the Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Paul and the other colonial-era buildings, including the art-déco Palace of Justice and the Grand Hotel.
Afternoon: Move on to the Lubumbashi Zoological Garden on Boulevard Kamanyola for the predators, the large snake collection and the termites museum, then continue to Waza Art Center & Spilulu'Studio at 588 Av. Adoula to see what exhibitions or sessions are running.
Evening: Finish at Cercle Wallon on 2 Avenue de la Révolution for food and a drink, with tennis or ten-pin bowling if you still have energy. If a TP Mazembe game falls on your day instead, watch the match and shift the museum and cathedral to the morning.
Frequently asked questions
What language should I expect to use in Lubumbashi?
French is the official language, but the main spoken lingua franca in Lubumbashi is Kiswahili. The dialect spoken down the east side of Congo, including Katanga, is called Kingwana.
When is the best time of year to visit?
Lubumbashi has a dry-winter humid subtropical climate, with warm rainy summers and pleasant, dry winters. Most rainfall occurs during summer and early autumn.
Can I visit the Lubumbashi Golf Club if I am not a member?
Yes. The club on Route du Golf, designed in 1934, hosts numerous competitions each year and is open for guests.
Is there anywhere to see contemporary art in the city?
Waza Art Center & Spilulu'Studio at 588 Av. Adoula develops exhibitions, publications, recordings and mixing sessions, with a focus on grassroots experimental artistic practices.
Pick the museum and the cathedral for your first morning, check what is on at Waza Art Center & Spilulu'Studio, and you have enough to start planning a trip.