Asmara
Eritrea · Maekel · 2325 m
Description
Asmara stands at well over two thousand metres on the edge of the Eritrean highlands and is the only city of its kind anywhere. Italy built it out as a colonial capital between the eighteen nineties and the Second World War, and the rationalist, futurist and art deco buildings that went up then are still in daily use rather than preserved as a museum, which is why UNESCO inscribed it as a modernist African city. The Fiat Tagliero service station spreads its concrete wings over a forecourt, and Cinema Impero keeps its lamps. Evenings belong to the passeggiata on Harnet Avenue and to macchiato in the old bars.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 6 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: November – February
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Fiat Tagliero service station
- Evening passeggiata on Harnet Avenue
- Cinema Impero
- Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary
- Macchiato in Bar Zilli and the old cafes
- Medebar recycling market
- Asmara central market
- Great Mosque of Asmara
- Tank graveyard at Mai Temenai
- Charter steam train down the escarpment(Day trip)
- National Museum of Eritrea
- Enda Mariam Orthodox cathedral
- Villa quarters of Tiravolo and Geza Berhanu
- Hand scored bowling alley
- Nefasit and the monastery of Debre Bizen(Day trip)
Getting there
- Airports:
- ASM