Sights, Tourist Attractions
Most visitors to this North African country are surprised at what they find. Instead of miles and miles of dry, dusty deserts or ramshackle streets, they find beautiful green pastures, elegant cities and picturesque harbors. Sure, the miles of desert sand can be seen, but Algeria has much more to offer than a glimpse of the Sahara. Nearly every main city or town has some great Algerian sights worth seeing.
Most would call the beautiful “white” city of Algiers a sight in itself. A fairly modern city filled with French architecture, a vibrant people and situated on the edge of the Mediterranean, it is a great place to get your camera out your bag. The city is quite large and sprawls out away from the harbor in all its whitewashed splendor. At the centre of the old town, where you will find some of the most amazing architecture, lies the casbah. In many ways, the casbah is the heart of Algiers and it is a great place to lose yourself for a day or so. Not too far away and also situated on the coast is Oran. Oran has more of a Spanish influence as it was established by Andalusian seamen many centuries ago. However, much of the original architecture was destroyed by an earthquake and Oran has a fairly modern look to it. Oran’s biggest claim to fame is that it is the home of Rai music.
If you’re not making your way around Oran, Algiers, Constantine, Annaba or Taghit – to name a few – you will likely enjoy seeing the salt lakes a bit further inland. Or you might want to visit the intriguing roman ruins which have been left behind as a mark of their presence in this country so very long ago. Of course, no trip to Algeria is complete without a visit to the sandy dunes of the Sahara. If you want to discover what attracted so many ancient civilizations to this small corner of the world for yourself, it would be wisest to contact your nearest tour operator and travel agent to make the necessary arrangements. He or she will be in the best position possible to help you see as many beautiful Algerian sights as possible.