|
|
ORAN
Swinging and humming
Oran hotels
|
Riad (t. 041 403850) 
Grand (t. 041 391533)
Kamel (t. 041 392951)
Khalid (t. 041 332628)
Montparnasse (t. 041 395338)
Residence le Timgad (t. 041 394797) 
Colombe (t. 041 466154)
Phoenix (t. 041 418991)
Royal (t. 041 981000)
Sheraton Oran (t. 041 590100)
Adef (t. 041 400434)
Afras (t. 041 402747)
L'Alhambra (t. 041 414164)
El Baraka (t. 041 322124)
Bel Air (t. 041 455431)
Derraz (t. 041 333772)
Echourouk (t. 041 413981)
Hayat Regency (t. 041 537700)
Houna el Ferdaous (t. 041 326526)
des Jardins (t. 041 340382)
du Lycee (t. 041 391398)
El Madina (t. 041 413683)
Medina (t. 041 349725)
Mira (t. 041 390325)
Mordjadjo (t. 041 394568)
M'sili (t. 041 406926)
du Paris (t. 041 392067)
President (t. 041 326928)
Rhoufi (t. 041 327698)
Torki (t. 041 412888)
Vizir (t. 041 539760)
|
| |
Oran is well known for being the home of the world famous music form of Raï, of which performers like Khaled and Cheb Mami are almost household names. The atmosphere of Oran will be a good indicator on how this inventive music form came to be moulded just here. Oran has since long times been known for being liberal and easygoing. But Raï is not the only modern cultural expression that hails from Oran,- Nobel prize winner Albert Camus was born here, and he located many of his stories to Oran. The plague in his The Plague is probably inspired by the cholera epidemic of 1849.
Much of Oran's success in modern times, must be credited the French,- when they arrived here in 1831, there were no more than 4,000 people living here. Much of the structure of the city was formed by French and Spanish settlers, and there were as much as 200,000 Europeans who left the city when Algeria gained its independence in 1962. Oran is today very much back to its old splendour, and being the second-largest city of Algeria, it is an industrial, cultural and educational centre.
Do not believe what some might tell you, there is quite a lot to see around Oran, even if the city is far away from any form of tourist tracks. The Great Mosque, is built in 1796, as a celebration of the liberation from the Spanish. Note that you can both enter the mosque and the minaret, which is octagonal (this might change, if not already). The Marabout Sidi Mohammed El Haouri from 1793 is well worth the visit, representing Andalusian architecture. The Demaegth Museum is a good museum, well endowed with exhibitions covering thousands of years. Of European-built buildings, the Chateau Neuf from the Spanish, was before the civil strife started, begun to be rebuilt into a hotel. Cathedral de Sacré Coeur is now turned into a public library, and can be entered and explored for free.
With Oran's size, no one should be surprised that the beaches near the centre is not extremely good. If you set out from town, however, first class beaches are easy to find.
Hotels and alternatives
Oran offers both acceptable options for budget travellers as well as elegance and luxury at a price.
Transportation
You can take air planes to several places in Algeria, Adrar, Algiers, Annaba, Béchar, Constantine, Tamanrasset, and Tindouf. Even European cities are well served, with flights on Geneva, Zürich, Switzerland; Lyon, Marseilles, Paris, Toulouse, all France.
Oran has fairly good, if overpriced, ferry connections to a number of European cities. Most ferries leave once or twice a week. Marseilles, Sète, both France, and Alicante, Spain.
Trains serve large cities along with all minor towns en route. Direct connections for Algiers, Mohammadia, and Tlemcen.
Buses and taxis serves all imaginable destinations. Note that there are two bus stations in Oran.
|
|
