AN ITINERARY THROUGH THE CAPITAL CITY

Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, is the home of big business and financial institutions, colourful markets, street hawkers, colonial buildings, shops, churches and mosques. The main sites of interest of Port Louis are best appreciated if one follows an itinerary which leads to the many historical and cultural sites.

Le Caudan Waterfront is the starting point of the Port-Louis Cultural Walk. This project was launched in 1997 in collaboration with the Port-Louis Municipal Council and traces an itinerary through the capital city, to historical and cultural sites: old markets and buildings, the gate to China Town, the oldest religious monuments and a garden at the heart of Port-Louis. An information board is set on each of these sites. Le Caudan Waterfront constitutes the first two stages of this itinerary, notably via The Observatory and the Blue Penny Museum.

The Observatory
Built between 1831 to 1832 by engineer John Augustus Lloyd, the Observatory stands on the ruins of an old powder magazine from the times of Mahé de Labourdonnais. As the fist meteorological observatory in the Indian Ocean, it was used for cyclone warnings and astronomic observation that helped for weather forecast in the harbour. It was an essential tool for calculating longitude at sea.

When the Royal Engineer Observatory started to operate, the old Observatory was sold in October 1866 to the New Mauritius Docks Company. The tower was brought down around 1880, leaving behind a square stone-and-bricks building, reflecting the historical evolution on the Waterfront.

The Blue Penny Museum
This building was built next to the old Caudan, in the place of the New Mauritius Dock Company Head Office, of which the stone walls have been preserved and still bear the date of construction (1930). Converted into a historic heritage and art museum, the Blue Penny Museum was founded by the Mauritius Commercial Bank and inaugurated on 27th November 2001. It is named after the legendary and very rare 2 pence Blue Stamp, one of those two 'Post Office' engraved in 1847 by Joseph Osmond Barnard for the Mauritian Posts. One of the issues of these stamps is displayed in the museum.