Things to see and do North

Located on the heights of Mekélé, this monument dedicated to the martyrs of the war in Tigray used to be accompanied by an interesting museum on the recent war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Interesting photos and weapons were on display, some of which are still frequently found in the countryside. Unfortunately, with the terrible new war in Tigray taking place in 2020-2021, these painful memories have been reawakened, and it is likely that a new memorial will one day be erected in memory of the 600,000 who died in this conflict.

The national park office in Debark is the first port of call before entering the protected area. As well as issuing permits, the staff will provide you with all the information and contacts you need to organize your trip. Here you can pay in cash or credit card (the machine worked the last time we were there, but beware of power cuts) for park entrance fees, guides and miscellaneous expenses (for camping, cars, hiring the services of a cook, a scout, mules, etc.).

An astonishing 2.5 m high stone milestone, the "Ezana Stone", is engraved with text in Geze, Sabean and Greek. It was found there in 1981 by a farmer ploughing his field. The inscription on the stele relates the episode of the battle against the Beja and other enemies of the kingdom, as well as the spread of Christianity under the sovereign's reign. Another passage warns that anyone wishing to destroy the edifice is doomed to a curse... A similar engraved stele is on display in the small Ezana garden in the town center.

Known as the "Pool of the Queen of Sheba", this cistern, whose name Mai Shum means "water of the chief", is said to have been the baths of the Queen of Sheba three thousand years ago. The other version is that it was dug in the early ^15th century as a water reservoir by the priest Abuna Samuel. Cut into the rock on one side and built on the other, this reservoir, which has been remodeled many times, is the rallying point for the great Timkat festival. The visit is not very interesting, but is included in the overall pass.

The road between Dessié and Weldiya passes close to Wichalé, the site of the 1889 Italian-Ethiopian treaty, also known as the Treaty of Ucciali, by which Menelik recognized Italy's right to occupy the territory of the kingdom that would later become Eritrea. A few years later, Menelik refused the treaty, leading to the Italian invasion of Tigray and the Battle of Adwa, which the Italians unexpectedly lost. After the Ethiopian victory, negotiations led to a status quo on the 1889 borders.

This monolithic church, excavated from the rock, stands on a stepped base in the Axumite style. According to legend, it is attributed to King Kaleb (^6th century) after his victory in Arabia, but some archaeologists place it more in the ^14th century. It is known to contain the mummified bodies of some of the Ouag-Choum rulers who succeeded the Zagoué dynasty in the Lasta. Its sculpted facade and richly decorated interior are well worth a visit, especially the coffered ceilings and, of course, the mummies!

This museum opened just before the 2020-2021 war. The museum itself boasts some fine pieces, including a pagan sacrificial altar found at Adi Akaweh, dating back twenty-eight centuries, as well as a wealth of pottery, jewelry, everyday objects and contemporaries from Roman times, found at various sites around Adigrat and Aksum in particular. There's also Wukro's first electric generator, dating from the early ^20th century, and a series of photos of the local inhabitants.

Located on the outskirts of the walled city, this well-preserved fortified castle features rounded turrets and high crenellated walls. It has been open to the public and converted into a museum since 2017. It is said to have been built in 1650 by a military officer of Emperor Fasilidas, Ras Walda Giyorgis, who made it his home and married the emperor's daughter, Eskenderawit. But the castle is best known for having been the imperial residence of Haile Selassie, who stayed here only five times in twenty-five years, but invited Queen Elizabeth II to visit in 1965. Sadly, the castle met with an unfortunate fate, as it was used as a torture chamber by the "Butcher of Gondar", military officer Melaku Tefera, during the Derg's red terror campaign between 1977 and 1979. Convicted of 971 murders and sentenced to death in 2005, his sentence was converted to life imprisonment in 2011. The castle remained closed until 2017, when it was reopened as a museum with the cooperation of the French Center for Ethiopian Studies.

The museum. The collection on the first floor includes the torture room under the Derg, preserved as a memorial to the many people who died or suffered severe abuse there. The general history of Gondar is also on display. On the second floor: in impeccable period style, the rooms of Emperor Haile Selassie and his wife Menen, with period furniture and objects. Finally, a staircase leads up to the emperor's study, with a single view of the city and the fields. We advise you to take a guide.

This little-known Unesco-listed castle, 65 km from Gondar, bears a striking resemblance to its cousins in the walled city, with its crenellated walls and cylindrical turrets - or rather, what's left of them. Located next to Emfraz, you have to take a 1 km chaotic track to get there. Probably built by Emperor Sarsa Dengal in the 1570s, whose architecture was inspired by the Ottoman model of Fort Debarwa, it offered a magnificent view of Lake Tana. It was probably remodeled by Fasilidas fifty years later.

Located around 15 km from Bahar Dar, the Zegue peninsula is the most popular excursion on Lake Tana, and requires a half-day visit. We linger at three sites: Urane Kidet, Azwa Maryam and Beta Maryam, a pretext for a stroll along the peninsula's coffee-growing rainforest landscapes. Hermits seeking isolation from the world founded the first Ethiopian Orthodox Christian monasteries on the islands of Lake Tana in the ^4th century. Today's buildings date from the ^18th century. The boat can pick you up on the other side if you have privatized it. Insistent souvenir sellers line this tourist route.

Transportation. To get there, you can take the local shuttle boat (25 birr) which leaves every hour and takes 1 hour (first departure 7am, return 8am, etc.), but be aware that the last returns are quite early (ask around 3 or 4pm). To privatize a boat for 1 to 5 people, expect to pay 500 birr for half a day, including fuel and driver, the advantage being that you take your time and we wait for you.

Guides. They're waiting for you at the boat's exit when you dock on the Zegue peninsula, and from now on a local guide is compulsory. So don't take one in port or in town if that's the only place you plan to go, because you'll end up paying twice! They're young, and lately we've found them quite well trained and educational in explaining the paintings, construction and architecture. It's a very interesting visit, and the friendly guides know how to keep the pushy salesmen on the side path at bay. We recommend walking with the guide, as the scenery is magnificent and he'll lead you to a small viewpoint.

Ura Kidane Mehret Church. Located on the Zegue peninsula, which is also home to the Beta Mariam and Azwa Mariam churches (Beta Giorgis having burned down), Ura Kidane Mehret is one of Lake Tana's most important sanctuaries, famous for its paintings dating from the ^18th to ^20th centuries, most of which have been restored. The circular, thatched church houses a maqdas entirely covered with biblical and historical scenes, which unfold in a sort of immense comic strip. Nearby, a small museum holds some interesting treasures: crowns, crosses, a Bible... Easily accessible, the church is much visited, attracting a throng of souvenir sellers, children and "guides" who are as tiresome as they are useless. Pretending not to understand English is a good way to ignore them.

Azwa Maryam Monastery. Following a 1.5 km path from Ura Kidane, we reach Azwa Maryam, a ^14th-century circular church with ^18th-century paintings. The priest's treasure trove includes many antiques.

Mehal Giyorgis Church. On the other side of the valley, 2 km from Ura Kidane along a different path, is Mehal Giyorgis, founded in the ^13th century and rebuilt and embellished with paintings in the ^18th century. According to legend, its founder was Abune Betre Mariam, one of the seven Ethiopian saints who dedicated his life to the expansion of monasteries on the islands of Lake Tana. The adjacent Abune Bete Mariyam church houses a museum with icons, murals, crowns, crosses, vestments, illuminated manuscripts..