Why it matters
On 28 January 1961, Rwandans gathered at Gitarama and declared themselves a republic — the pivotal moment in the transition out of colonial and monarchical rule. It is also the birthplace of Rwanda's first president, whose modest tomb can still be visited in the town.
Kabgayi
Three kilometres out is the Kabgayi cathedral, built in 1925 — the oldest cathedral in Rwanda and the seat of the country's first Catholic bishop. The scale of the interior is the surprise; it is vast and very quiet, and worth stopping for even if churches are not your thing.
The small museum next door holds an unexpectedly good collection: hand tools and weapons, musical instruments, old clay pots and baskets, indoor games, historic clothing and military uniforms, and material on traditional medicine.
Where it fits
Muhanga sits an hour south of Kigali at the junction where the southern road to Huye splits from the western road to Karongi. Almost everyone passes through it and almost nobody stops. An hour here breaks up either drive and adds the republican half of the story that Nyanza tells from the monarchy's side.