Nyamagabe

Nyamagabe, formerly Gikongoro, is a high-altitude town in southern Rwanda, situated at an elevation of nearly 2,000 meters. It serves as an important gateway to Nyungwe National Park, one of Africa's best-preserved mountain rainforests. The town itself is the administrative and commercial center of the district of the same name. The region's economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, particularly the cultivation of tea and coffee on the fertile slopes. Nyamagabe has a tragic history, as the Murambi Genocide Memorial Centre is located nearby, a former school where tens of thousands of people were killed in 1994. Today, the memorial is a poignant place of remembrance. The town's high altitude provides a cool climate and often provides spectacular views of the surrounding landscape, crisscrossed by deep valleys.

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.

Huye

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

Ndora

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

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.

Kibeho

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

Nyaruguru

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

Save

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

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Kansi

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

Gisagara

A significant location in the southeast of the Southern Province, where large peat power plants contribute to the national power supply.

Mugombwa

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

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.

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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.

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Ruli Wolfram Mine

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

Nyamata Church Memorial

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

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Mbyo Reconciliation Village

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

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.