Havana - Castillo De La Real Fuerza

Location, location, location real estate agents always say, well, the folks who built the Castillo de la Real Fuerza should have listened. This fortress, built in the mid 16th Century, was never used in the defense of Havana. It was built too far inside the bay rendering it all but useless.

Despite the fact it was never used as a fortress, it was put to good use as a store house of valuables and a residence for members of the military and gentry. Designed and built by Francisco de Calona, the Castillo de la Real Fuerza was is an engineering marvel with walls that are 6m / 19 ft thick and 10m / 33ft high, a moat, and even a drawbridge.

Today visitors will find one of Havana's fifty museums, the Museo Nacional de la Ceramica Cubana, securely housed in the thick walls of the fortress. As the name suggests, the museum has a collection of works by Cuban artists in several different mediums including ceramics, pottery, and mosaics.