Dschang

Dschang sits at around fourteen hundred metres in the western highlands, and its altitude gives it a climate cool enough that a rest centre was built here in the colonial period for people coming up from the coast, a set of buildings and gardens around a small lake that still functions as a hotel and park. The town has a university and a market, and its main visitor attraction is the Museum of Civilisations, opened in 2010, which sets out the cultures of the four main regions of Cameroon and, in particular, explains the chiefdoms of the grassfields, their regalia, societies and architecture, which makes it a useful place to start before visiting the palaces themselves.

History

The town's recorded history begins in 1895 with a German military mission, and in 1909 it replaced Fontem as the seat of a German military district, on ground two neighbouring chiefdoms had disputed, which is said to be the meaning of its name. Under France it became the capital of the West Province, and its holiday resort was built in the 1940s; after 1960 the regional administration moved to Bafoussam, and the University of Dschang, opened in 1993, brought new growth (Wikipedia, Dschang).

The main sights

• The Museum of Civilisations - the regions and chiefdoms explained.
• The climatic centre and lake - the colonial-era rest station and its park.
• A cool highland climate - the altitude that made the town a retreat.
• The market and university town - the working life of Dschang.

When to go

November to February in the dry season; the highlands are wet and misty for much of the year. A day. The museum closes on some days; check before travelling.

Before you go

The museum is the main reason to stop and its hours are not always reliable. The climatic centre is faded. Roads in the region are rough and journeys take longer than distances suggest.

Nearby

Bafoussam is east; Mount Bamboutos rises north.

Key facts