Ten surviving Asante Traditional Buildings are located in and around Kumasi in the Ashanti Region. They are among the sites listed by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Kumasi is the historic capital of the Ashanti Region and Ghana’s second-largest city; the city was founded in 1695 by Asantehene Osei Tutu. Historical landmarks, textile crafts, festivals and landscapes offer different ways to explore Ashanti.
History in Kumasi and the Surrounding Area
The Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi displays a battle garment dating from 1900. The Kumasi Fort and Military Museum exhibits military equipment and artifacts from the British-Asante War and the Second World War. The museums focus on different things: one features a single, dated garment, while the other presents exhibits from two distinct wartime contexts. If you are interested in the region’s history, you can explore these topics side by side during your visit.
Kente and Adinkra: Discover the Craft
Bonwire is considered a leading center of Kente weaving in Ashanti. According to legend, two friends from Bonwire learned the art of weaving by watching a spider spin its web. This story gives the weaving tradition a distinctive narrative, while a tour in Adanwomse offers a hands-on experience of the craft: on a one-hour tour of the community Kente workshop, you can try spinning, warping and weaving. Confirm visit arrangements in advance.
In Adanwomse, a culinary tour includes farm visits, tapping palm wine and preparing traditional dishes. Tastings must be arranged before your visit. A village theater group also performs dance, drumming and storytelling; its performance must likewise be arranged in advance. When planning, you can choose between craft, culinary and performing arts experiences, with advance arrangements required for both tastings and theater.
Another textile tradition leads to Ntonso. The town is considered the home of Adinkra cloth and Ghana’s largest producer of Adinkra. On a guided tour, you can learn about and try out various stages of production. These include preparing dye, dyeing the cloth, Adinkra printing and embroidery. Kente and Adinkra thus offer different insights into Ashanti’s textile crafts: the Kente workshop is the focus in Adanwomse, while Ntonso centers on Adinkra production.
Festivals and Lake Bosomtwe
Festivals also offer insight into the region’s culture. The Akwasidae Festival honors past Akan leaders and heroes and draws participants from around the world. Other notable festivals in the Ashanti Region include Papa, Kente, Nkyidwo and Adae Kese.
Lake Bosomtwe offers another perspective on Ashanti. The lake is located in the region and is one of six UNESCO-designated biosphere reserves. You can go boating and swimming on Lake Bosomtwe and hiking around it. This gives you a choice of activities on the water, in the water and on land. An information center at Lake Bosomtwe provides information about the lake and conservation efforts and can arrange boat trips. Check locally for the center’s current operating status and boat trip arrangements. Swimming and hiking conditions may vary; check locally for updates on these as well.
Discover more destinations: Kumasi Metropolitan, Obuasi, Adonso, Mampong, Trede, Adukro, Konongo, Ejisu, Agona, Feyiasi.
For the broader travel overview: Ghana.
