Welcome to Algeria
Algeria Discovery
Transferts and Airport Assistance to and from
Algiers Hotels
Algeria
A country, with the size of a “continent”, expanding enough to offer you all the bounties of the Orient, at 2 hours flights from Paris. Situated on the northern shores of Africa, Algeria extends itself over an area of 1 479 945 square miles. Three-fifths of the country is Sahara Desert. In the north, let the shores of the shimmering azure Mediterranean Sea tempt you; Algeria extends over 745 miles of coastline, with romantic inlets, endless beaches and fine sand.
Algeria is a new and emerging destination hot-spot with a tourism industry that stays open all year long.
Algeria offers you extraordinary and dazzling unexploited resort destinations as plentiful in the Great South with its Tassili and Hoggar National Parks, designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, and the Oasis regions of M’zab and Saoura, as in the north of the country where you can find, scattered across the land, a plenitude of ancient Roman sites where you can retrace the steps of St. Augustine, and cities full of culture and history, like Algiers, Constantine, Bejaia and Tlemcen.
A little about the History of Algiers
Algiers, from the Arabic al-Djazair, the Phoenician trading-post Ikosium, the Roman port Icosium whose name meant “from the islands,” it was towards the middle of the Tenth Century A.D. that Algiers became an important and active commercial center for the Mediterranean World. On the 4th of July, 1830 it was captured by French imperial forces. The Casbah, the Mosque of the Fishery, the Great Mosque of the Malekite (dated 14th Century A.D.) and several palaces escaped the various destructions and re-buildings of the city, and they are all still there for all to feast their eyes upon. During the Second World War, Algiers played an important role in the Allies Landing and became the nerve center from which emanated all political and military decisions affecting the whole of North Africa. During the National Liberation War against the French occupation forces, which lasted from 1954 to 1962, it was an important seat of armed struggle, and the Battle for Algiers constituted a historic turning-point of great significance which led to independence for the whole country on the 4th of July, 1962. Since then the political and intellectual capital of the country, Algiers has experienced expanding economic and social development. Algiers today is both at the same time teeming with people and cosmopolitan.
What to Do and What to See ?
Algiers avails it self of it’s good fortune as situated within a remarkable geographical setting. Often compared to the glittering bay cities of Naples and Rio, the city rises around the bay like an amphitheatre replete with lights and emerald greenery. It’s riches encompasses innumerable gardens, parks and museums, it’s the refuge of a breathtaking heritage of rare flora, and vegetation, and in addition the city displays everywhere the suggestive vestiges of artistic movements from across history. Just to give a few examples of it’s magnificent wealth, visitors to Algiers can discover the Bardo Museum, the Hama Botanical Gardens, the Museum of Popular Art, the Ketchaoua Mosque, the Citadel of the Casbah, the Palace of Rais-Bastion the XXIIIrd, the craft’s men village of Riadh el Feth, and the Notre Dame d’Afrique Cathedral. And of course, you can take in a sumptuous meal at the seafood restaurants Le Restaurant de la Pêcherie (Dauphin) or Le Restaurant de la Madrague (Chez Sauveur), or alternatively, at others like El Djénina, which offer traditional Algerian cuisine within the magical setting of a typical Algerian atmosphere or, still further, “brochettes sur le pouce” from the abattoirs of Algiers.
ALGIERS :
Nation’s capital – City tour : the Casbah, Fine Arts’s Museum, Bardo
Museum and
Botanic Garden
TIPASA :
Near Algiers – Roman Town and Museum
CHERCHELL (Caesarae) :
Near Tipasa – Roman capital of western Algeria
ORAN :
The most Spanish town in Algeria – Demaeght museum and Spanish Fort of
Santa Cruz
TLEMCEN :
Algeria’s art capital – Mansourah and Mosquees
AIN SEFRA :
The gate of the desert – The Atlas mountains, volcano colourful Ain
Ouarka and Art
Painting at Tiout Oasis
TAGHIT :
The Magic sandy Oasis and Art Paintings
TAMANRASSET :
Hoggar National Park – The mytical bleu men (Touareg), Art Painting,
mountains view from algeria’s highest peak (Assekrem – the refuge of
Pater
Charles de Foucault)
DJANET :
Tassili National Park – Open air world museum Art Paintings (Near Libya
and Niger)
GHARDAIA :
Pentapolis of the M’Zab area – Fabulous sahara architecture
BISKRA :
Famous oasis and algeria’s most important canyon
TIMGAD (Thamugadi)
: Near Batna - On
the cross road between Carthage and Mauretania
CONSTANTINE :
Old Cirta, the City on the rock known for its suspension bridges
GUELMA :
The famous roman theatre in the center of the town
HIPPONE (Hippo
Regius) :
At Annaba – Roman ruins and Saint Augustine Basilica
DJEMILA (Cuicul) :
Famous for its mosaics and museum
In the city center in Algiers :
El Aurassi hotel, 5*
At 16 miles, western Algiers, near the beach :
In Oran :
In Annaba :
By private coach or luxury coach.
- Tipaza : Roman town, one full day, - Kabylie and Beni Yenni (visit craft’s men) : full day, - Bou Saada Oasis : 2 days, one night.
By air from Algiers :
On the footsteps of Saint Augustin in eastern
Algeria
Father “Charles de Foucault” in Tamanrasset-Assekrem
Entry Requirements :
Valid passport and visa;
Vaccinations :
none required;
Population :
almost 33 million;
Land Area :
1 479 945 square miles;
Climate :
Mediterranean – mild in winter and hot in the summer;
Capital :
Algiers; largest cities: Oran, Constantine, Annaba;
Currency :
Algerian Dinar (DZD) ; 1 U.S Dollar = 70 DZD (approx.);
Languages :
Arabic, although French is also very commonly-used, and English to a lesser
degree;
Shopping :
Arts and Craftwork, ceramics, leather, dates and wines;
Banks :
Open Sunday to Thursday from 9am to 3pm – closed Fridays and Saturdays;
Credit cards :
VISA, MasterCard, American Express, accepted in hotels and some stores;
Weekend :
Thursday afternoon and Friday;
Algerian Consulates :
Click here. [Washington, Montreal, London];
Currency Conversion :
OANDA
ou Yahoo;
Weather in Algeria :
Click
here;
The classified monuments in Algeria : Click
here;