Fly from Nice to Algiers

Algiers is undergoing a transformation, developing multiple building sites to assert its increasing modernity and vitality with each passing year. It still retains its picturesque quality, with the Kasbah, the ancient citadel, continuing to protect the old town and its inhabitants from the advancing concrete and asphalt. Its white houses, which cascade down from the hills of the Algerian Sahel to the coastline, form a maze where you and your partner or friends can lose yourselves. It's an aimless walk, but not a pointless one. Pleasure awaits around every the corner, whether in the form of a kahwa, an Algerian-style coffee enjoyed with the locals, or that of a mosque that resonates with hundreds of years of offered up prayers.
But the Kasbah isn’t the only thing guarding the soul of Algeria. With the Roman ruins of Tipaza and the Numidian tomb known as "the Christian", the Ottoman palaces and neo-Moorish buildings, the mosques and churches (such as the remarkable Notre Dame d'Afrique), Algiers and its region ooze history. The city's museums preserve its culture by protecting its most beautiful jewels. The streets of Bab el Oued preserve the most traditional accents. Then there are the beaches of Sidi Fredj, the lush greenery of the Jardin d'essai (the green lung of Algiers), the spicy scents from markets and restaurants, and the sunny terraces of its countless cafés that offer you a touch of the spicy “art de vivre” that makes any holiday a success.

• Wander around the Kasbah, the old city. It owes its name to the citadel that once guarded the entrance. Don't be afraid to get lost in its picturesque streets. The people of Algiers are all around and give the place its charm.
• Visit the mosques of the old city. They are centuries old, even a thousand years old: the Jemaa Kebir mosque, the oldest in Algiers, was built in 1067! But the most compelling is the Ketchaoua Mosque. Its two minarets make it look like a church. And for good reason: it is one!
• Discover Dar Aziza, a rich mansion named after its first owner, a 16th century princess. Located opposite the Ketchaoua mosque, in the lower Kasbah, the building is the most beautiful palace in the city.
• Visit the Palais des Raïs, another exquisite Algerian residence, built on the shores of the Mediterranean. Its beautifully restored interior bears witness to Ottoman splendour. The building now houses an arts and culture centre.
• Breathe in the fresh air along the pathways of the Hamma Jardin d’essai. Inaugurated in 1832, it is now considered one of the most beautiful acclimatisation gardens in the world. The majestic trees and their soothing shade are a delight for nature lovers.
• Soak up the city's energy by mingling with the crowds in the Place des Martyrs. It has been completely renovated and opens onto the port and the sea, making it the epicentre of Algerian life now more than ever.
• Take in the Grande Poste d'Alger. Headquarters of the Algerian Post Office, this large neo-Moorish building looks like a palace. Its façade is breathtaking and, as you'll quickly discover when you visit the museum inside, the interior is just as remarkable.
• Step through the doors of the Bardo Museum. It’s worth visiting both for its beauty and the breadth of the collection it houses. It is dedicated to African prehistory and ethnography. A space of peace and enlightenment.
• Contemplate the collections of the Algiers National Museum of Fine Arts, one of the most impressive on the African continent. It brings together the works of Brugghen, Delacroix, Renoir, Monet, Matisse and Gauguin with those of the country's greatest talents.
• Head to the peninsula of Sidi-Fredj, some thirty kilometres from Algiers, home to the region's most stunning beaches and an excellent thalassotherapy centre. The former should be visited in the summer and the latter when temperatures start to drop.