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Tizi Ouzou

TIZI OUZOU
Bustling big town

Tizi Ouzou is a city with few attractions for travellers, but the place do have charm, and if you're interested in spending time with nice people, a good place in its own. The city is predominately Berber, and has a bustling and friendly atmosphere. Tizi Ouzou has probably grown a little bit too fast in recent years, to have much interesting architecture, but it is a good base for exploring the surrounding area, which is everything from beautiful to spectacular, even if some travellers will prefer to visit other parts of Algeria more, as they might find it too green.

Great excursions from Tizi Ouzou includes a trip out to the Shrine of Sidi Beloua, 20 km to the north,- a nice structure, and offers a great view over the mountainous agricultural area. Travelling out to L'Arba Na'it Irathin, 25 km to the east, which is a prosperous village, together with a French fort from the 1850s. Travelling 15 km to the south from L'Arba Na'it Irathin brings you to Beni Yanni, which is a cluster of 7 villages, all inhabited by a famous Kabylian tribe of the same name. Each of the seven villages has its particular charm, but most of them have made the most of the mountainous setting, to create dramatic effects.

Most appreciated by young people of Tizi Ouzou will be the Djurdjura Mountains where the village of Tala Guilef offers good skiing during a couple of months in winter time, and dangerous rock climbing in summer.

Eat and Sleep
OK on hotels, most price classes are covered, but there is not too much to choose between. There are some restaurants, but the best choice will be going for popular restaurants, where good food is picked up at very affordable prices. For the excursions, the best choice is to make it into day trips, while bringing your own food, as choices in many of these villages are arranged around the needs of the locals only.

Transportation
Good connections to most destinations with bus, you can even cover the winding excursions described above with public bus. Trains run for Algiers, while taxis are served from two stations, but these will bring you to most destinations.

By Tore Kjeilen