Old Havana hosts heritage cities meeting from 17 to 20 November
Published on 10/18/2026 at 07:24 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Old Havana (La Habana Vieja) hosts the XXII International Meeting on Heritage Cities Management from 17 to 20 November 2026 in Havana, Cuba. The gathering will examine metropolitan planning, economic and social change, and the protection of historic environments.
The event places a current professional programme inside one of the Caribbean's best-preserved historic urban areas. Its venue, the former Convent of Santa Clara, connects the meeting's focus on restoration and heritage management with the buildings and streets under discussion.
Old Havana hosts a meeting on heritage-city management
The XXII International Meeting on Heritage Cities Management is organised by the Master Plan of the Office of the Historian of Havana. The official programme gives the dates as 17 to 20 November 2026 and identifies the former Convent of Santa Clara at Calle Cuba 610, between Sol and Luz, as the venue.
The meeting's theme is Hablemos sobre el Plan de La Habana III: Desafíos metropolitanos en un escenario de Transformaciones Económicas y Sociales. The programme is designed for researchers, professionals, authorities and international specialists working with urban planning, conservation and sustainable management of historic territories. The official meeting notice places the dates and venue together.
The four-day programme includes keynote conferences, panels, communications, case studies, workshops and technical visits. A related report says the organiser is the Master Plan of the Office of the Historian of Havana and describes the meeting as a forum for proposals on the future of heritage cities. The programme report also links the discussions to territorial equity and the protection of cultural and natural heritage.
The historic centre puts the November meeting in context
UNESCO records that Havana was founded by the Spanish in 1519. The historic centre retains an urban layout shaped by plazas, narrow streets, Baroque and neoclassical monuments, arcaded houses, balconies, wrought-iron gates and internal courtyards.
Old Havana and its fortification system were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982. The protected property includes five major plazas and defensive structures connected with the historic port, including the Castillo de la Real Fuerza and the fortresses at the entrance to Havana Bay. These features give the November meeting a direct setting for its subject: conservation is not an abstract theme at the venue but part of the surrounding urban fabric. UNESCO's historic-centre record describes the site's layout, architecture and management framework.
The former Convent of Santa Clara also has a specific connection to restoration training. The venue houses an international professional training centre focused on the arts and crafts of restoration, according to the meeting report, making it a working setting for discussions about conservation rather than only a historic backdrop.
Visiting Old Havana: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The meeting runs from 17 to 20 November 2026 at the former Convent of Santa Clara, Calle Cuba 610, between Sol and Luz, in Old Havana.
- The programme is a professional meeting for researchers, conservation specialists, planners and related authorities, with conferences, workshops, case studies and technical visits listed for the four days.
- Old Havana lies in Havana's historic centre. The venue address places it on Calle Cuba, within the area defined by the former city walls and its network of historic plazas.
- The area includes narrow streets, public squares, arcades, courtyards and historic fortifications. Walking conditions therefore include uneven urban surfaces and passages shaped by the older city layout.
- Spanish is used for the local programme, and Cuba's national currency is the Cuban peso.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Old Havana
When does the heritage cities meeting take place at Old Havana?
The XXII International Meeting on Heritage Cities Management takes place from 17 to 20 November 2026 at the former Convent of Santa Clara.
What is Old Havana?
Old Havana is the historic centre of Havana, founded in 1519 and inscribed with its fortification system on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982.
Where is Old Havana and how do you get there?
It is in Havana, Cuba, and the meeting venue is at Calle Cuba 610, between Sol and Luz, in the historic centre.
