On an island at the mouth of the Senegal River, two kilometres long and just 400 metres wide, this good-size city (pop. 224,000) four hours up the Atlantic coast from Dakar, was listed by UNESCO 25 years ago for the colonial architecture left by the French, who founded it as a fort and trading hub in 1659; they later made it the colony´s capital, from 1872 all the way up to 1957 (especially since it gained prominence as a UNESCO site, a number of these colonial buildings have been turned into hotels and restaurants). Top spots to visit include Faidherbe Bridge, connecting the island to the mainland and designed in the 1890s by none othewr than Gustave Eiffel; Mupho St. Louis, showcasing Senegalese photographers; and the Marché de Sor, a typical African open-air market. Known as N´Dar in Wolof, the city is also well known for its annual festivals.
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