Kara (or Lama-Kara) was founded in the 19th century by the German colonizers. It is one of the major administrative centers of Togo, mainly because former President Gnassingbé Eyadéma is from the nearby village of Pya and he understood Kara's strategic position at a crossroads of two trade routes.
Kara is a pleasant city. There are several places of interest in Kara, including the
Most people come to the area to visit the Vallée de Tamberma, which is home to a unique collection of fortified villages, or the Kéran National Park, both of which arenorth of Kara.
In the village of Sarakawa, some 20 km (12 miles) northwest of Kara is a statue of President Eyadéma, at the place where his plane crashed in 1974. The text on the statue says: 'They almost killed me here'.
The second largest market in Togo is held every Wednesday in the village of Ketao, not far from Kara. Other interesting towns in the vicinity include Landa (craft market), Farendé (metal items) and Pagouda. Some 15 km (10 miles) northeast of town it the Mont Kabyé region, which includes some of Togo's most scenic places.
There are numerous hotels in Kara, including Hôtel Kara, Hôtel de l'Union, Hôtel de la Concorde, but you can also stay in some of the surrounding villages. There are also many restaurants in the city. Kara is on the Kara river, about 400 km north of Lomé.
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