Tourist Attractions & Monuments Ethiopia

The bridge to the river was swept away by a flood a few years ago. However, when the flow is low, it is possible to cross the stream and catch up.

A boat trip to the "crocodile market" is a must in this natural area of great beauty, teeming with animal life and human activity. Hotels organize boat trips, but the easiest and cheapest way is through the Rift Valley Boat Service Association, an association of local guides. It's safe, and led by seasoned guides. As the trip is in a national park, you'll need a scout.

This young team of 20 local guides has created its own trekking structure, supported by the municipality and a few expatriates who helped them set up the project. The 6-day trek is exclusively camping, which is cheaper than the huts offered by Tesfa Community, but also colder! You need to be equipped for the extreme temperatures at night in the high mountains. You won't be integrated into village communities; this is purely a trek.

Tommy is a Hamer guide, deeply involved in the Turmi Guides Association, who will take you to various tribes in the region. He can guide you to the Hamer, particularly during the Oukouli ceremonies, as well as to the Karo, a little further along the trail. He speaks excellent English and can find you 4 x 4s to rent in Turmi, or accompany you on a one-way trip if you're on a tour, or with more economical motorcycle cabs.

It is one of the most venerated monasteries in Ethiopia. Its founder, Takla Haymanot, occupies a special place among Ethiopian saints. The monk, trained at the Estifanos monastery on Lake Hayq, is known for having played a key role in restoring the Solomonic dynasty to Yekouno Amlak at the end of the ^13th century. Once his mission was accomplished, he retired to a cave in the south of the kingdom to lead an ascetic life.

According to legend, the holy monk lived for many years on his feet, without eating or drinking, fed only once a year by a bird that dropped a seed into his mouth. But the feat didn't end there: one day, his femur broke off, and the saint managed to spend the last seven years of his life balancing on one leg... It was on the site of these feats that the monastery was founded, the holy man having attracted many faithful to his side.

Nothing remains of this original monument after the passage of the Gragn's destructive campaigns. While the recent church, built in 1961, is only of interest for its stained-glass windows by the artist Afewerk Teklé, the natural setting is serene and ideal for a stroll. The recent paintings are nevertheless very beautiful.

One path follows the stream to a small village, while another leads to the cave where Takla Haymanot lived. On the way back, 2 km away, there's a beautiful Portuguese bridge, simply indicated by a roadside sign.

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.

Addsi Fine Art is a contemporary art gallery present in Addis Ababa, in the chic Bole district, but also in London. Founded in 2016 by Rakeb Sile and Mesai Haileleul, it gives a light to talented contemporary Ethiopian artists in the international art world. A welcome artistic incubator for the many local artists. The range of works on display is extensive. An opportunity to see exceptional canvases in a beautifully lit space, with regularly scheduled temporary exhibitions.

Yekatit 12 means "February 19th" in Amharic. Known as the Martyrs' Monument or Sidist Kilo, like the district around it, the obelisk is a memorial to the Graziani massacre carried out by the Italians during the occupation in 1937. It pays tribute to all the resistance fighters and heroes of that war. After the 1945 armistice, Haile Selassie laid a wreath of flowers here every year. A closer look at the details of the obelisk reveals relief scenes of the massacre and the funeral of the victims, as well as a lion of Judah.

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.).

At the end of Churchill Avenue, opposite the old railway station, the statue of the Lion of Judah stands on its black granite pedestal. Its bas-relief features portraits of Menelik II, Haile Selassie, Empress Zewditou and Mekonnen Wolde Mikael. It was sculpted by French artist Georges Gardet in 1930. Stolen by the Italians in 1935, the Lion of Judah remained at the foot of the Dogali monument obelisk in Rome until its return in 1960. Since then, the monument has been dedicated to the memory of Zerai Deres, a young Eritrean in revolt against Italian colonialism.

Of the three alkaline volcanoes in the region, El Soda ("the house of salt") is the only one easily accessible. The village overlooks a crater more than 100 m deep, at the bottom of which is the oil-black circle of the lake, which can be reached by a half-hour walk. The ascent is much more strenuous, requiring at least 1 hour. Depending on the season and water temperature, the men start work earlier or later in the morning. Before embarking on the excursion, make sure that the salt harvest has begun.

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.

Zoma Museum is a new architectural and botanical discovery center in Addis Ababa, popular with families at weekends for its large, quiet garden planted with local species and flowers. This is not a classic museum, but a series of small houses made of earth, brick, straw and other natural materials used in traditional Ethiopian architecture, with walls sculpted with geometric designs. They house a restaurant, a bookshop... and it's possible to tour them with a guide, as there are no explanatory panels.

The Wenchi Ecotourism Association is run by the local community. A good way to encourage fair tourism. With local guides, we trek through villages, meeting lots of people and having a truly enriching experience. The association offers circuits ranging from 35 minutes to 5 hours' walk. The longest trek is the 16 km Bagoba-Abagalalcha (see details of circuits on the website). Boat excursions are also available.

This palace was built in 1870 by Moti Kumsa Moroda, the third and last king of Wolega, who converted to Christianity and pledged allegiance to Emperor Menelik. His family, who lived there, were later evicted by the Derg and sent to Addis Ababa. Since then, it has been opened to the public and transformed into a museum dedicated to Oromo architecture. The two-storey palace also features a dozen buildings built in an interesting traditional architectural style. Guided tour in pleasant rudimentary English, complementary to that of the museum.

After eight years in the making, the Coffee Museum was inaugurated in 2015 to great fanfare in Kaffa, the historic home of the red bean roasted and ground around the world. Since then, the empty building has struggled to be filled, apart from a modest exhibition on the history of coffee, and in particular of the Kaffa species and its cultivation in the region. There are, however, a few archaeological objects on display, including the world's oldest coffee beans, discovered in the Kumale cave in the ^3rd century AD. An exhibition that makes you want an espresso immediately.

Entrance to Abijata and Shalla Lakes National Park is paid for at the park gate, located on the right-hand side of the main road. In addition to the conservation fee per person (valid for 24 hours), there is a charge per car and the compulsory escort of one scout and one guide per small group. The park is accessible all year round and is subject to the usual rainy seasons, mainly from June to September. However, we advise against visiting during the rainy season, because of the muddy trails around the lakes.

The local guides' association is very dynamic, just take a look at their website. It offers hot-spring bathing with a cultural village tour. Or opt for a day tour that also includes a climb up a hill to a viewpoint and a stroll to the natural "shower" of Emperor Haile Selassie, who used to come here to relax near a therapeutic sandbank. You can also hike to a waterfall or Lake Dabash.

Shappe is the most impressive of the prehistoric rock carving sites in Dila, but nearby Laga Harro is also worth a combined visit. Located in an unmarked wilderness area, a guide is essential to get there. You'll find one at the Oromia District Office, 7 km from Dilla near the village of Guangua on the Shappe road. It's also here that you must pay an entrance fee per car. Negotiate a guide for two or three sites while you're at it, as the stones don't speak for themselves and the road to Shappe is complicated. The centerpiece of this site of prehistoric engravings is a fresco depicting seventy cows in motion at the edge of a cliff and a river. Partially destroyed, it is thought to be between three and five thousand years old; it's hard to say, as it hasn't revealed all its mysteries and, to tell the truth, no one has looked into it until now. It is, however, unique in that the drawings have a singular style, with small heads, large horns and large udders full of milk. In 2000, local archaeologist Gizachew Abegaz discovered two new, equally mysterious engraving sites nearby. These include Laga Harro, which features six engraved cows and two human figures, one with a penis cover and the other jumping above the cows as during the Oukouli ceremony among the Hamer in the Omo Valley.

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 art gallery is also a jewelry store and concept store of the first choice in Addis Ababa. Beautiful handicrafts and objets d'art are on display and for sale, for those looking for fine craftsmanship. This gallery, created and run by women, places particular emphasis on traditional pottery and silver crosses typical of all the Orthodox regions of Ethiopia. Paintings also hang on the walls. You'll also find beautiful hand-woven Ethiopian scarves and textiles.

This new museum, located in the heart of the new Parc de l'Amitié, completes a rapidly changing cultural offering in this aristocratic district of the city. This small private museum is housed in the former home of Mrs. Yimtubezinash Habte, built in 1892 by Indian builders who blended their architecture with Ethiopian style. It is a historical symbol, as it is contemporary with the creation of Addis Ababa, and Mrs. Habte was a turn-of-the-century businesswoman and sister of Fitawrari Shemeles Habte, the Harar administrator at the time who fought against Italy during the first invasion of Meychew. She herself was a resistance fighter imprisoned by the Italian military until 1933, a true female figure in the building of the Ethiopian nation. The house remained in the family for five generations, until she decided to bequeath it to create a museum that aims to be patriotic and unifying, in an Ethiopia that needs symbols of unity today. The permanent exhibition features period photos and a focus on the Battle of Adwa, where the Ethiopians won the decisive battle over the Italians that made this nation the only country ever colonized in Africa. Photos of Addis Ababa in its infancy are also on display. The museum also conducts research into Ethiopian heritage and organizes conferences on the subject. Temporary exhibitions are also scheduled.

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.

Entoto Nature Park is a peaceful eucalyptus forest just a stone's throw from the bustling capital, overlooking the Shiromeda district, famous for its traditional textile market. Visitors come here to enjoy the splendid views over the city, as well as the tranquility of the area, with its rivers and waterfalls. There are children's playgrounds, cafés and restaurants to stop off at... The 11 km hiking trail is suitable for the whole family.

Inaugurated in October 2022 by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, this museum dedicated to science and digital transformation is futuristic in its architecture. It is located close to Unity and Friendship Parks in the new tourist heart of Addis Ababa. Its 15,000^m2 circular showroom is nicknamed the "Ring of Wisdom". It symbolizes humanity's endless capacity to create. Exhibitions are interactive and didactic. Like the Géode in Paris, the Théâtre du Dôme has a 3D cinema.