Gisagara

Gisagara is a district in the Southern Province of Rwanda, whose capital is Ndora. The region is relatively flat compared to the rest of the country and has a strong agricultural focus. Gisagara is nationally known for the Huye-Gisagara Peat Power Plant, one of the largest power plants of its kind in Africa, which makes a significant contribution to the national electricity supply. The peat is extracted from the nearby swamps. In addition to energy production, agriculture, especially the cultivation of rice, maize, and beans, is the most important economic sector. The town of Ndora is a small but growing commercial center. The district benefits from its proximity to the city of Huye, the intellectual center of the south.

Nearby cities

Kabgayi

The historical epicenter of the Catholic Church in Rwanda houses a monumental cathedral and many schools.

Muhanga

A major commercial hub between Kigali and the western and southern provinces of the country.

Ndora

A bustling center of agricultural trade in the Gisagara district, where coffee beans are primarily traded.

Huye

The intellectual capital in the south houses the national university and the impressive ethnographic museum.

Nyamagabe

This town borders the Nyungwe National Park and is heavily characterized by timber and tea production.

Nyanza

The traditional heart of the former Rwandan kingdom preserves the historic palace complex of the monarchs.

Ruhango

A growing commercial town on the main road south, known for its large cassava processing plants.

Mugombwa

A significant location due to the UNHCR refugee camp, which has a strong international humanitarian presence.

🗺️

Kansi

This peaceful southern community is heavily influenced by artisanal banana wine production and traditional pottery.

Save

Rwanda's first Catholic mission, founded in 1900, sits majestically on a hill near the city of Huye.

Nyaruguru

A high-altitude settlement in the deep south, bordering the Nyungwe National Park and the neighboring state of Burundi.

Kibeho

World-famous as the only Vatican-approved Marian apparition site on the African continent.

Kamonyi

The urban area acts as an important link between the capital region and the deep south of the country.

History & landmarks

Ntarama Genocide Memorial

A former Catholic church south of Kigali where five thousand people sought refuge and were killed in 1994.

Nyamata Genocide Memorial

A memorial in a former church in the Bugesera District demonstrating the brutality of the 1994 genocide and the failure of churches as sa…

Rusumo Bridge

A strategically important international bridge over the Akagera River on the border between Rwanda and Tanzania near the Rusumo Falls.

More places

Muhanga Mining Region

A major area for the extraction of cassiterite, wolfram, and coltan.

🗺️

Nyabarongo I Hydroelectric Power Station

A large hydroelectric plant on the Nyabarongo River to meet national energy demand.

Ntarama Church Memorial

Another church that became the scene of brutal murders and now serves as a national memorial.

🗺️

Mbyo Reconciliation Village

A historically important village project where genocide survivors and perpetrators live together after a reconciliation process.

Nyamata Church Memorial

A Catholic church where thousands of people sought refuge and were murdered during the genocide.

🗺️

Ruli Wolfram Mine

A significant mine for the extraction of wolfram, a strategic hard metal.

Rwanda Children's Farm

An educational farm where kids learn how to care for animals and plants.

Lake Muhazi

An elongated lake that is an important inland water body in Rwanda.