Te doen in Algerije

Most of Algeria is desert, but life gathers along the Mediterranean, where the capital, Algiers, climbs a steep hillside above a wide bay. Its old quarter, the Casbah, is a maze of stepped lanes and Ottoman-era houses, and the basilica of Notre-Dame d'Afrique looks out over the water from a headland.

Inland, the Roman cities of Timgad and Djémila stand in the highlands, and Constantine perches above a deep gorge crossed by bridges. Far to the south, the M'zab Valley around Ghardaïa holds walled towns of pale, stacked houses built by the Mozabite community, while Djanet, an oasis in the south-east, is the base for the sandstone plateau of Tassili n'Ajjer and its prehistoric rock paintings.

Couscous is the dish of the country, cooked with lamb or chicken and vegetables, and semolina pastries filled with dates, such as makroud, come with mint tea or strong coffee. The coast suits the shoulder seasons, the Sahara is at its kindest from November to February, and the mountains of the north see snow in winter.