La Gare was once the main railway station in Addis Ababa with its magnificent grand terminal building. En route towns grew along the railway line from Addis to Djibouti with expanded opportunities for trade that opened up. The railway The Ethio-Djibouti Railway was built in 1897–1917 and served as Ethiopia’s main transport link for many decades. Prior to the construction of the railway, it took six weeks to travel from the coast to Addis Ababa by camel and mule caravan. The beautiful building was eventually abandoned once the railway stopped and 10-12 years ago, the building itself was almost demolished had it not been for a citizens campaign to save La Gare….
Today thankfully the building of La Gare remains albeit only to serve as a nostalgic memory with pictures from days gone by and a few old train cars on tracks behind the building. There are two cafes (the original Café Choche and Tomoca) and rumours about an eventual French Museum about the Railway. The main purpose now however is to showcase the transformation taking place at La Gare, a joint venture development project between Eagle Hills Ethiopia and The City Government of Addis Ababa. One La Gare when completed will feature more than 4,000 residences set in an area of over 360,000 sqm including commercial, hospitality, retail and leisure attractions within a gated community around a green park. On the outer perimeters of this exclusive complex in theory, low-cost condominiums will also be built for the Kirkos residents.
For further information:
info@lagare.com
+251 11 5589888
