Fianarantsoa Old Town

Fianarantsoa was founded in 1830 as the Merina administrative centre for the Betsileo south, and the old town, the Haute Ville, occupies the hill above the modern centre: narrow cobbled lanes and stairways between two-storey brick houses with wooden balconies, a scatter of nineteenth-century churches of competing denominations, and views over the surrounding rice country from the top. Much of it is dilapidated, with buildings propped or collapsed, and restoration has been intermittent. It is a working residential quarter rather than a preserved district, so laundry, children and cooking fires are part of the scene. Walking up takes half an hour from the centre through steep streets, and a local guide is worth having both for the history and for finding the way through the lanes.

What you actually see

• Brick and balcony houses - the nineteenth-century Betsileo townscape.
• Hilltop churches - Anglican, Catholic and Lutheran within a few streets.
• Stairway lanes - cobbled climbs between the levels of the hill.
• Views over rice country - the terraced plain from the summit.

When to go

April to November for dry footing on the steep lanes. The highlands are cool and evenings cold. Morning light suits the brickwork and the views before haze builds.

Honest expectations

Many buildings are in poor repair and some are unsafe. The lanes are steep and slippery when wet. This is a lived-in quarter, so photographing homes and people needs asking. There is little interpretation on site and few facilities.

Nearby

Sahambavy tea estate lies east; Ambalavao is south.