The Route des Esclaves and the heart of vodun
Ouidah was one of the main ports of the Atlantic slave trade, and the Route des Esclaves runs about four kilometres from the town to the beach, marked by statues and memorials and ending at the Door of No Return. The town is also a spiritual centre of vodun: the Temple of Pythons faces the Catholic basilica, and the Sacred Forest of Kpassè is filled with sculptures. The Portuguese fort houses the History Museum of Ouidah. The annual Vodun festival in January draws large crowds.