The Basilique Sainte-Anne stands at the top of its neighbourhood as the most arresting piece of architecture in Brazzaville. The tall green-tiled spire and the distinctive barrel-vaulted interior make it immediately recognisable — and inside, the soaring space is genuinely impressive, cooled by the thick walls and flooded with coloured light from its stained glass windows.
Built in the 1940s to serve Brazzaville's growing Catholic population, the basilica has become a landmark for the whole city. It is still an active parish church, which means it is best visited outside of service times. The surrounding neighbourhood has some of the city's oldest residential architecture, and a walk in the streets nearby gives a sense of Brazzaville's French colonial urban planning.