Jardin d'Essai du Hamma, Martyrs' Memorial and Algerian Food

In the Hamma and El Madania districts just east of Alger Centre, a lush coastal plain meets the steep Sahel cliff in a three-tier cultural landscape linked by Metro Line 1 and an aerial cable car: the historic botanical gardens at sea level, the National Museum of Fine Arts on the middle terrace, and the soaring Martyrs' Memorial on the crest above.

Jardin d'Essai du Hamma, Fine Arts Museum and Maqam Echahid

• Jardin d'Essai du Hamma: step out of the Jardin d'Essai Metro station into one of the most celebrated acclimatisation and botanical gardens in the world, founded in 1832 and redesigned across 58 hectares with over 1,200 plant species. Walk down the monumental central axes shaded by century-old Canary Island dragon trees (Dracaena draco), towering Washingtonia and Canary palms, giant bamboo tunnels and tangled Moreton Bay fig trees (where early 1930s Hollywood Tarzan scenes were filmed), then emerge onto the geometric French garden parterre looking north to the sea.
• National Museum of Fine Arts (Musée National des Beaux-Arts): at the southern edge of the French garden, climb the monumental steps (or take the middle cable car stop) to the 1930 pergola-topped building housing Algeria's premier art collection, spanning European paintings and bronzes (Monet, Renoir, Delacroix, Bourdelle, Rodin) alongside celebrated Algerian artists such as Baya Mahieddine, M'hamed Issiakhem and Mohammed Khadda.
• Maqam Echahid (Martyrs' Memorial) and National Mujahid Museum: ride the Téléphérique du Mémorial to the top of the El Madania ridge. Opened in 1982 for the 20th anniversary of Algerian independence, the 92-metre concrete monument brings together three stylised palm leaves above an Islamic dome and eternal flame; its vast esplanade looks across the entire crescent of the Bay of Algiers toward the Casbah.

What and where to eat in Algiers

Cooking in Algiers blends Andalusian refinement, Amazigh semolina traditions and Ottoman pastries with fresh Mediterranean catch. Seek out five local staples:

• Rechta Algéroise: the capital's beloved celebratory dish of delicate handmade steamed noodles tossed with butter and ladled with a fragrant white cinnamon broth of chicken, chickpeas, turnips and courgettes.
• Chorba Beïda and Chorba Frik: either the silky Algérois white chicken-and-cinnamon soup thickened with egg yolk and lemon, or red tomato soup cooked with crushed green durum wheat (frik) and fresh coriander, always served with a crunchy cigar of meat- or shrimp-filled bourek.
• Garantita (Karantika) and Mhajeb: Algiers's favourite street snacks: a piping-hot slice of creamy baked chickpea-flour flan dusted with cumin and harissa inside a crusty half-baguette, or folded griddled semolina flatbreads stuffed with spiced tomato and onion (mhajeb).
• Grilled sardines and red mullet at El Djamila (La Madrague): head to the port restaurants near the fishery or west to El Djamila for charcoal-grilled sardines and shrimp.