Black Volta Region

The Black Volta Region of Burkina Faso is in the southwest of the country.

Cities

  • 🌍 Banfora — home to the famous Banfora Cascades 
  • 🌍 Bobo Dioulasso — the nation's second largest city is a major center of culture and music
  • 🌍 Dédougou — hosts a biennial festival of masks
  • 🌍 Diebougou — an important market town that has a range of crafts, including pottery and basket work
  • 🌍 Douroula — host one of the five sites of ancient iron metallurgy in Burkina Faso classified as World Heritage by UNESCO
  • 🌍 Gaoua — gateway to the ruins of Loropéni 
  • 🌍 Orodara — capital for the Siamou ethnic group
  • 🌍 Sindou – famous for the Pics de Sindou sandstone formations
  • 🌍 Tougan — close to the Sourou River (hippopotamuses), the Dounkou crocodile pond, and the granite cave and pyramid of Dio

Other destinations

  • 🌍 Deux Balés National Park — home to baobab trees, hippopotamuses, and crocodiles
  • 🌍 Mare aux Hippopotames — the only UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Burkina Faso is home to about 100 hippos; it is about 60 km north of Bobo-Dioulasso,
  • 🌍 Ruins of Loropéni — Medieval UNESCO World Heritage site with extensive ruins of a 1000-year-old fortress 40 km west of Gaoua

See

Dômes de Fabédougou near Banfora are great dome-shaped sandstone formations near the Karfiguéla Falls.

The Grande Mosquée in Bobo-Dioulasso is a fine example of Sahel-style mud architecture.

Dédougou hosts a festival of masks in even-numbered years. For several days, representatives from all regions of Burkina Faso parade wearing the traditional masks of the country.

The Lobi "villages" around Gaoua are mini-fortresses scattered around the countryside.

Ancient ferrous metallurgy sites

Five sites with ancient iron mines and furnaces around Burkina Faso have been listed as a world heritage site. Two of them are in the Black Volta Region (the other three are in North Burkina Faso):

  • 🌍 Békuy Site (northeast of Satiri along the N10 highway).
  • 🌍 Douroula site (northeast of Dédougou).

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