The Historic Centre of Macau

The Historic Centre of Macau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most fascinating urban landscapes in Asia, the legacy of over four centuries as a Portuguese colony before its return to China in 1999. Here, European and Chinese cultures blend as nowhere else: cobbled, pastel-lined squares like the Largo do Senado, baroque Catholic churches, and the iconic Ruins of St Paul's, the soaring stone facade of a seventeenth-century church, stand alongside Chinese temples such as the ancient A-Ma, Taoist shrines, and the everyday bustle of a Cantonese city. Wandering this compact, atmospheric quarter is a journey through a genuinely unique meeting of two worlds.

What you actually see

• The Ruins of St Paul's - the iconic soaring stone church facade.
• Senado Square - the cobbled, pastel-lined Portuguese square.
• The A-Ma Temple - the ancient Chinese temple that named Macau.
• The churches and fortress - the baroque churches and Monte Fort.

When to go

October to December, the cool, dry autumn, for the most pleasant weather to explore on foot, avoiding the hot, humid summer and the typhoon season; the old town is atmospheric year-round and lively in the evenings. It is easily reached as a day trip or overnight from Hong Kong by fast ferry or the bridge.

Honest expectations

The historic centre is compact and can get very crowded, especially around the Ruins of St Paul's and on weekends and holidays when day-trippers pour in from Hong Kong and mainland China, so early mornings are calmest. Modern Macau's casino glitz presses close around the old quarter. As a genuinely unique and beautifully preserved fusion of Portuguese and Chinese heritage, though, unlike anywhere else in Asia, the Historic Centre of Macau is a captivating and rewarding place to explore.

Nearby

The Macau Tower, Taipa and Coloane villages and the Cotai casinos are close by.