Dassa Zoume
Take a train on the Cotonouu to Parakou railway to Dassa (as the locals shorten the name) and see the natural beauty between the contrasting towns on Benin. Dassa is called a place of pilgrimage, where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared in La Grotte Marial Notre Dame d'Arigbo. Around this sacred area, a basilica has since been built, containing several shrines that have religious connotations.
Natural beauty surrounds the city and the forests are beautiful to escape from the busy towns and traders. Dassa and Savalou constitute part of Collines Department which was created in 1999 after the Benin government split up the former six departments of Benin into twelve. The capital of Collines hasn't been chosen yet but will likely be Savalou, which is the bigger of the towns, but the total area is small with Collines covering 13,561 km.�. This region�s sites can be seen in two days, unless you are part of the pilgrimage that visits Dassa every August for three days.
The Pilgrims congregate from all over West Africa to pray at the grotto of the Virgin Mary and it is a sight to behold as these worshippers arrive with a single goal. Dassa is situated in the middle of a rocky mass could be quite a journey by foot or vehicle as the area comprises of 42 hills, but the journey is worthwhile for pilgrims and tourists alike.
