With over 36.5M people residence in the area, Algeria is a North African country with a Mediterranean coastline and a Saharan desert interior. Many empires have left legacies here, such as the ancient Roman ruins in seaside Tipaza. In the capital, Algiers, Ottoman landmarks like circa-1612 Ketchaoua Mosque line the hillside Casbah quarter, with its narrow alleys and stairways. The city’s Neo-Byzantine basilica Notre Dame d’Afrique dates to French colonial rule.

The north, with its snow-flecked mountains and stunning coastline, is home to urbane and charismatic cities such as Algiers and Constantine, as well as some of the most magnificent Roman sites in existence including Timgad and Djemila, both vast, perfectly preserved Roman towns with barely another tourist in sight.

The Saharan region of Algeria is a huge draw to visitors. For accessible adventure and a complex, enthralling cultural odyssey, head for Algeria.

Top Experiences in Algeria include:

1 – Djemila the Spectacular Roman town

A quick half day breeze and you would have seen it all, but spend longer here, linger in the temples and markets, stroll through the bath chambers, or just lie down in the shade of villa walls and conjure up the sounds and sensations of those long gone days; one of the world’s great archaeological sites will come alive if you travel to Djemila.

2 – Timgad – One of the finest Roman sites in existence.

The ruins of Timgad stretch almost as far as the eye can see. Its perfect preservation has made it a Unesco World Heritage Site – take the time to walk around slowly, inhabit the place and Timgad will spring to life.

3 – Hippo Regius also known as Hippone

The vast ruins are among the most evocative in Algeria, stretched across a rolling site, full of flowers, rosemary, olive trees, birds and sheep, and overlooked by the imposing, colonial-era Basilica de Saint Augustine.

Algiers (Al-Jazaïr) never fails to make an impression. The country’s turbulent history is writ large in the city’s richly textured architecture: wide French-built boulevards and elegant apartments and villas, Socialist-era monuments and public buildings, and an enduring Islamic heart secreted in the steep, hillside Casbah.

The Great Mosque, Algeria – The world’s third largest Mosque

Labyrinthine streets spill down to the Bay of Algiers. The sea and sky and lit up beautifully, green ravines glimpsed at every step. Though people often spend just enough time in Algiers to organise an onward journey, it’s a fascinating place well worth at least a couple of days’ exploration.

MAJOR LANGUAGES – Arabic, French and Berber

CURRENCY – Dinar

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