Postal Palaces

MARVELS OF DESIGN, LANDMARK POST OFFICES GET THE WORLD TRAVELER’S STAMP OF APPROVAL.

If you’ve been the tenacious tourist, seeing every sight on your well-researched list, but not setting foot inside historic post offices, you’ve been missing something. Yes, Instagram and other social media are fast replacing postcards for many of us, but some shrines to the daily mail are worth searching out even if you don’t need to buy stamps. They’re architectural treasures, and neither snow, nor rain, nor heat— you know the drill—should keep you from discovering their glory. Claiming center stage in prominent cities around the world, these celebrated postal edifices are iconic for their grandeur, with a spirit that recalls the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur in Paris, but without its snapshot familiarity. Some post offices even serve as museums, another reason to come explore.

Saigon Central Post Office, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

With its bright yellow façade and green shutters over rows of arched windows, the Saigon Central Post Office is a must-see tourist destination built in the late 1800s—and yes, you can mail a letter there; it’s a working facility. Some credit the Eiffel Tower’s designer for this outstanding combo of neo-classical European architecture and Asian décor, but the person to thank is really another Frenchman, architect Marie-Alfred Foulhoux.

Kudos to the domed roof with metal arches and bountiful pillars for creating such a spectacular effect on the spacious interior that you may just stand there in awe—but don’t forget that letter! Other notable features are the patterned floor, painted maps of an early postal route from southern Vietnam to Cambodia. The interior nostalgically echoes a 20th-century European railway station, complete with old-school phone booths. The post office is next to the Notre Dame Cathedral, a fact that makes it easy to cross two landmarks off that list. BACHENDORF’S 45

General Post Office, Kolkata, India

A striking sight in Kolkata by night is the General Post Office’s more than 220-foot-tall hallmark dome lit up through its circle of arched windows. But the GPO, as it is known, is also an architectural wonder by day and worth a visit as one of the city’s oldest landmarks. Though it’s a centrally located tourist attraction, GPO has a job to do for the city as well as the state of West Bengal. It’s one of India’s more than 150,000 post offices, and mail has been its game since 1868.

The collector in the family won’t want to miss the world-renowned postal museum featuring stamps from the GPO’s early days or the new Parcel Café. Besides the landmark dome, architect Walter B. Grenville also went all out with Corinthian pillars both inside and out. Walk through the door and discover the drama of these iconic pillars stretching toward the domed ceiling in a space encircled with arched balconies. A brass plate marks the boundary wall of the Old Fort William.

Central Post Office, Valencia, Spain

No, a king and queen don’t live there, but the Valencia Post Office is known as a palace—The Palacio de Correos y Telégrafos. It sits right in the Municipal Square, and with its immense structure and the variety of statues gracing its roof and arched entrance—not to mention its shining beauty at night—the palace does look fit for royals. Architect Miguel Angel Navarro designed the building in 1914, but construction met delays and the post office did not open until 1923. With so many bells and whistles, the post office can’t help but captivate. Picture rooftop domes, columns flanking the entrance and, of course, a king-sized fountain in front. The structure reflects an eclectic theme popular in its day with traces of classicism, modernism and baroque. But what fires the imagination most are five allegorical statues above the entrance, each a symbol of communications, lest we ever forget this palace is devoted to carrying the written word. BACHENDORF’S 47

Grand Post Office, Algiers, Algeria

A port city on the Mediterranean, Algiers is known for ottoman palaces, mosques and the Casbah, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. So perhaps it is no surprise that this capital city’s Grand Post Office really lives up to its name—Grand. Built in 1910 for the French Postal Service by architects Jules Voinot and Marius Toudoire, the post office is a spectacular example of Neo-Moorish architecture with arches and ornate mosaics.

“Its true beauty is on the inside,” a visitor marvels in a Tripadvisor review. “It’s a throwback in time as you step through the doors.” An added treat, this post office is now a museum, and the area offers plenty of cafes and stores for an extra-special day.

Palacio Postal, Mexico City, Mexico

Heavily damaged in an earthquake but now restored to its original glory, the Postal Palace is magnifico for an over-the-top design that draws from diverse traditions. Built at the start of the 20th century and considered modern in its day, this sumptuous stunner in the heart of the city’s historic area is the epitome of contrasts: The stone exterior is formidable with iron dragon light fixtures and an army of arches, among the varied features Italian architect Adamo Boari used to make it one of a kind. But at the heart of the palace, beauty and art abound. Consider the meeting room with frescoes—on written communications, of course—painted over a gold base. With a castle-like opulence, marble floors run up to the main stairway that combines two ramps in a wow of a landing. Eclectic is the best way to describe the architecture since it brings together everything from Art Deco to Elizabethan Gothic and more. BACHENDORF’S 49