You are in front of St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Hanoi, one of the most iconic monuments in the capital. Built at the end of the 19th century and inaugurated at Christmas 1886

Welcome to Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, a city whose history stretches over more than two thousand years and is discovered step by step, between quiet lakes, lively alleys and major avenues.

Facing you is the impressive building of the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam. It consists of two different buildings, designed to work together. You are here in front of the newest one, inaugurated in 2020.

You see here a great tower. Before crossing the street, go a few more meters if you want to see the complex of buildings that is here. This is the Hanoi Towers, a twin tower complex in the heart of the French Quarter.

You are in front of Hỏa Lò Prison, also known as Central House, one of the most historical places in Hanoi. Before being a prison, this place was home to the artisan village of Phu Khanh, known for its terracotta ovens and stoves

This building was built between 1900 and 1906 by the French architect Auguste-Henri Vildieu, then put into service in the following years during the time of French Indochina. At first glance, its neoclassical architecture affirms a clear idea

Here we will turn left, but if you walk a few more meters, you will arrive in front of the entrance of a very specific museum: the Vietnam Women’s Museum. Managed by the Women’s Union of Vietnam

We arrive here at the shore of Hoan Kiem Lake, also called Ho Guom, the “restored Lake of Sword”. Here, we leave the busy streets of Hanoi for a moment to enter a space apart, at the same time place of walk, legend and daily life.

You're here on Trang Tien Street, the iconic French Quarter. Moving down this street, we will reach the opera house, which is a few meters away. Located southeast of Hoan Kiem Lake

An iconic building in the French Quarter, the Hanoi Opera House is a true symbol of modern Vietnamese history. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was built by the French colonial administration, and was inspired directly by the Opéra Garnier in Paris, whose neoclassical style it adopted.

On your left is the Sofitel Legend Metropolis Hanoi. Inn like no other: it is the first Luxury Inn in Indochina, imagined as a showcase of French colonial prestige

Here you are in a small discreet park full of history. Created in colonial times, it is best known for its central fountain decorated with four toads spitting water, which earned it its popular nickname “the garden of the toad”.

The building in front of you is the Tonkin Palace. Built between 1918 and 1919 by the French colonial administration, it was originally the palace of the Senior Resident of Tonkin, that is, the French governor responsible for running the north of the country.

The building you see on your right is the former Bank of Indochina, now the headquarters of the State Bank of Vietnam. Built in the late 1920s by the French architect Felix Dumail

Before you stands a key figure in Vietnamese history: King Lý Thái Tổ, founder of the Lý dynasty and creator of Hanoi as we know it today. Look closely at the statue: with its 10,10 meters high

Here you are in front of the Hanoi City People’s Committee, the body that governs and administers the Vietnamese capital on a daily basis. Behind this façade are today the major decisions that organize political life

You can’t miss it: from here, you have a beautiful view of Hoan Kiem Lake, but above all the beautiful bright red bridge that crosses it and leads to Ngoc Son Temple. Thê Húc Bridge, slender and slightly curved, stands out clearly on the green of the water and the surrounding trees

You are here in front of the entrance of the Ngoc Sơn Temple, where you buy the ticket to Jade Island. Before entering, take a moment to observe the whole of you: this temple is not only a place of worship

This white marble sculpture depicts three figures: a woman wielding a sword, a kneeling man holding a rifle, and another raising a torch. Together, they symbolize the commitment of an entire people, men and women

In front of you is the Ba Kieu Temple, a discreet but very old place, located on the east shore of Lake Hoan Kiem. What you see first, under the shadow of a large 100-year-old banyan tree, is the ancient temple gate, facing the lake.

Since 1969, the theatre you have before you has brought to life an art unique in the world: the múa king nưoc, born more than a thousand years ago in the flooded rice fields of the Red River Delta, and today recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

In front of you stands a discreet building with French colonial architecture, with its clear facade, regular openings and sober look that contrasts with the bustling Hàng Bạc street. This is the Golden Bell Theatre, located at number 72, in the heart of the Old Quarter of Hanoi.

The Old House of Ma May, located at number 87, is one of the few remaining accessible examples of traditional Vietnamese urban settlement from the late 19th century. Built during the Nguyen dynasty, this house belonged to a merchant family, according to a typical model called "house tube"

Take a look on your right: behind this discreet façade of Hàng Buom Street lies Bach Mã Temple, considered the oldest temple in Hanoi. It is dedicated to Long Do, a local deity honored as protector of the ancient citadel of Thăng Long

Here you pass the only gate still standing among the twenty-one that once protected the citadel of Thăng Long, the former imperial Hanoi. Built in 1749, it was originally called the “Eastern River Gate,” because it gave access to the Red River wharf.

This part of the city is the Old Quarter of Hanoi, the historic and still very lively heart of the Vietnamese capital. Imagine more than a thousand years ago, in 1010, when King Lý Thái To founded Thăng Long here: around the imperial citadel

In Hanoi, gastronomy is as much a part of the landscape as streets, markets and temples: here, eating is a daily act, simple and deeply rooted in urban life. Hanoi cuisine stands out for its balance and finesse

You’re here in one of Hanoi’s most atypical and perhaps one of the most amazing places in the world: a real railway runs through an inhabited area, so narrow that trains pass within inches of houses and cafes.