Algiers  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. Labyrinthine streets spill down to the yawning big blue of the Bay of Algiers, sea and sky and green ravines glimpsed at every step.

What to do in Algiers for 24h to 48h? 

Places of Interest

Casbah

The heart of the city is its ancient Casbah, a steep and narrow maze of streets just west of the Pl des Martyrs. There are several magnificent Ottoman palaces to explore here, most concentrated around the Djemaa Ketchoua at the end of Rue Ahmed Bouzrina; the finest is the Dar Hassan Pacha.

National Museum of Antiquities

The richness of Algeria’s heritage is brought home in this museum. The collection of antiquities is drawn from sites around the city and throughout Algeria. Among the early works are fine ivory carvings and large, totemic Libyan-period warriors on horseback.

 

Dar Hassan Pacha

Carrying the name of its original owner, Dar Hassan Pacha, this is one of the city’s grandest mansions. The building now houses a collection of illuminated manuscripts and contemporary calligraphy by artists from across North Africa and the Middle East.

Grande Poste

Algiers’ beloved main post office is an unmissable piece of living history, a fine example of French-designed, early 20th-century Moorish architecture.

 

 

Djemma Ali Bitchine

The Djemma Ali Bitchine, which dates to 1622, is a mosque with an unusual domed design clearly influenced by Italian or Byzantine churches.

Notre Dame d’Afrique

One of the city’s most famous buildings, this Catholic basilica still celebrates mass at 6pm daily, despite its dwindling flock. Its striking neo-Byzantine architecture and freshly restored more-is-more interior are matched by amazing views out to sea and across the capital.

 

Where to Eat?

Le Caïd

This classy, intimate and laid-back restaurant is perhaps the best place in Algiers to eat gourmet versions of local classics. It’s best known for its mechoui, delicious slow roasted lamb on the bone. It also does salads and, on Wednesday and Thursday, a rich paella. There’s a small list of Algerian wines, and live music upstairs (jazz on Wednesday and Thursday and classical Algerian on Friday).

Cafe-Restaurant El Salam