Regina Mundi Cathedral

Regina Mundi is the Catholic cathedral of Bujumbura, a brick building of the mid-twentieth century with a tall square tower standing over the low city around it, and it is the largest church in the country. The interior is plain with a wide nave. Burundi is heavily Catholic and the cathedral is busy at services, with music that is the reason many visitors come on a Sunday. The cathedral was completed in 1958 and seats around two thousand people.

What you actually see

• The brick tower - the square campanile standing over the city.
• The wide nave - the plain interior of the country's largest church.
• The Sunday music - the singing the services are known for.
• The city setting - the cathedral in the middle of low-rise Bujumbura.

When to go

June to September is the dry season. Sunday services are when the building is fullest and the music happens. Access outside services is generally open.

Honest expectations

The building is plain and architecturally unremarkable outside its scale. Access depends on services. Photography inside should be asked about.

Nearby

Bujumbura's centre is around it, and the lake is west.