Batna has little to offer in itself, in fact most parts of it is terribly ugly, with endless cheap apartment blocks, but is a good base for those visiting Timgad. Batna was constructed by the French in 1844, as a military camp, in order to protect the roads running into Sahara. The setting is nice, and with an altitude of 1,038 metres, it is a good refuge in summer.
Eat and Sleep Very good on hotels and restaurants. Most price classes are covered, and with quite good value for money.