Oshogbo is one of Africa's most creative art centers and a must-see on any trip to Nigeria. The town is filled with artists working in the style of the Oshogbo school, producing original masks, tapestries, batiks and sculptures, often based on Yoruba folklore. We particularly recommend the gallery of Nike Davies-Okunday—she is one of Nigeria's best known batik artists.
On the outskirts of town is the haunting Sacred Forest, a wooded area filled with shrines to the Yoruba gods. For the past 40 years, Austrian sculptor Suzanne Wenger has been renovating and adding to the shrines, making them even more stunning. (Wenger eventually became a priestess at the shrines.) You can pick up a guide who knows the history and the stories behind the shrines. Also, take along plenty of small change—you'll be expected to make a small donation at each shrine. The best time to go to Oshogbo is during the Oshun Festival, which takes place on the last Friday in August.
125 m/200 km northeast of Lagos.