AN opportunity to witness first hand the intense conservation work being carried out in colonial Havana, recognized as a World Heritage Site, is being offered as part of the Rutas y Andares program (Walks and Wanderings), organized by the City Historian’s Office (OHCH).

Details and explanations of activities featured in the 8th edition were presented during a press conference offered in the City Museum by Katia Cárdenas, director of the OHCH’s Cultural Program.

Cárdenas said that once again the program is about Havana families coming into contact with their own history, culture and traditions, emphasizing that every year Rutas y andares attracts thousands of people to the central historic district. (In 2012, 13,000 people participated.)

She explained that, as has been the case in the past, activities also take place beyond the borders of Old Havana, in other areas of the city, including Miramar and Vedado.

Added attractions for young people this year include tours of the University of Havana, celebrating its 285th anniversary, as well as trips through Miramar guided by architecture students, organized by the Green Tile Roof House and another to get to know First Avenue on bicycle.

Well known special walks such as those of the Hispanic-American Cultural Center and the Factoría Habana, have been joined by three new offerings this year: visits to both the Quinta de los Molinos and the permanent exposition of Leonardo da Vinci’s Genius, in the San Francisco Convent’s White Hall and one designated Cuban identity and tradition, an imaginary tour through a series of lectures on Cuban music, language, dance, beliefs, visual arts, cinema and theater.

Among the great variety of walks to choose from is one devoted to artisan crafts, offering the opportunity to appreciate work owned by ethnographic museums at the Asia, Africa, Arab world, Mexico and Simón Bolívar Houses.

The "Ruta del agua" is novel, addressing themes such as the development of medications and perfumery, including visits to the ancient pharmacies Sarrá, Taquechel and Johnson, a trilogy of establishments founded in the 19th century and all faithfully restored.

The City Historian’s Office is committed to architectural conservation in harmony with museum, social, cultural, housing and tourism needs within the historic district. The Wanderings, therefore, propose various itineraries, including this year, ones along Compostela and Muralla Streets, in the process of complete restoration; the Paseo del Prado; the Alameda de Paula and small plazas, such as that of the Angel.

The tours will not be easy given the extensive work underway on these streets, which includes replacement of underground utilities such as telephone lines, gas pipes, electrical cables and, of course, water supply, difficult but much-needed.

The program has very responsibly considered the tastes of different age groups and persons with special needs, including, for example, interpretation services for the deaf.

Interesting are the virtual walks for the elderly which will exhibit images and audiovisuals accompanied by interactive talks on varied topics such as "Following the steps of Cecilia Valdés," at the Poetry House; the house where José Martí was born; recreational architecture in Miramar and surrounding areas, in the Green Tile Roof House: and "Havana’s colonial fortresses: The Real Fuerza, the Tres Reyes del Morro and San Salvador de La Punta," in the Castillo de La Real Fuerza Museum.

For the second consecutive year, Rutas y Andares para Descubrir en Familia, the program’s complete name, (Walks and Wanderings for Families to Discover) includes 52 summer workshops for children and adolescents, involving 32 institutions which allow participants to learn about visual arts, archaeology, stamp and coin collection, Arab and Flamenco dance, poetry, crafts, music, photography, gardening, cinema, acting, cartooning and magic.

One very attractive workshop is entitled "Aprendamos del Museo Napoleónico en francés," (Let’s learn about the Napoleonic Museum in French), during which young people attend classes in French and Spanish, which link greetings, numbers, colors and shapes to Napoleonic history, supported with objects from the museum’s extraordinary collection.

These workshops are a continuation of the comprehensive social development project for adolescents in Old Havana, financed by the European Union, as part of its Invest in People program, implemented in conjunction with the City Historian’s Office and UNICEF.