jueves, 05, mayo 2016

Filed under:
The Dupont Circle

Written by
Nicola Brady

Inside the Embassies in Washington D.C.

On May 7 and May 14

Have a look inside the embassies in Washington DC on this open day, taking place over the first two weekends in May.

There are plenty of fascinating political spots to explore in Washington D.C. The city is home to many important sights, whether it’s a monument to an American hero or the home of an international ambassador. What else would you expect in the most important political city in the world?

Embassy Row is a great spot in the city for a stroll (or even a jog, as covered in our recent guide to keeping fit in the city). But on the first two Saturdays of May each year, these embassies open their doors to visitors, giving a unique insight into the world of global diplomacy.

This Zither musical instrument is played on the embassy open house day in Washington D.C, close to the Dupont Circle hotel.

Credit: Asia Heritage Foundation

You can visit numerous embassies over the two days, between 10am and 4pm. With the embassies getting into the spirit with tastings of their regional cuisine, displays and cultural experiences, you effectively get the chance to visit multiple nations from around the world, all within steps of each other. When else could you eat authentic pizza from Italy before sipping on pisco from Peru?

The first of the open house days takes place this Saturday, May 7. There are 40 embassies participating on this first day, from nations as far flung as Mozambique, Bangladesh and Guatemala. On May 14, the European embassies open their doors, with all of the nations in the EU taking part.

If you can’t make the embassy open house, then a walking tour is a great way to see Embassy Row. You can take a guided tour with Washington Walks, which departs from Dupont Circle every Saturday.

There are also a series of embassy events held throughout the year. The Embassy Series holds concerts in embassies with international artists, with the aim of uniting people through musical diplomacy.