Travel Guide Parc National Du Djurdjura

"Torrents flow from Djurdjura to Sebaou through faults in limestone and shale perpendicular to the valley," wrote Mouloud Feraoun, the writer murdered by the OAS in 1962. The Djurdjura massif extends over nearly fifty kilometres. Three high peaks stand out: Lalla Khedidja (2,308 m) to the east of the massif, Ras Timedouine (2,305 m) in the centre and Jebel Heidzer (2,164 m) above Bouira. Several roads, not always driveable, enter it. The Romans called it the Iron Mountain both for the nature of its soil and for the character of its inhabitants, who were reputed to be fierce and resistant to any invader.The simplest way is to skim the massif from the east along the Taksebt dam reservoir, cross Larbaa Naït Irathen and then Aïn El-Hammam before climbing towards the Tirourda pass (1,750 m) and joining the N26.The 90 km of this route crosses sumptuous landscapes. Larbaa Naït Irathen dominates the plain which descends to the sea from its 900 m height. Ideally located on a rocky peak, it served as a military post from the beginning of the French conquest and was topped by the national fort, a fortress built in the 1850s to guard Kabylia, which was difficult to conquer. The villages in the immediate vicinity of the city that now bears the name of the Aït Irathen tribe are famous for the production of utilitarian pottery whose shape is designed to fit the hips of women, eternal water carriers.Further along the N15, Icherridene is the cherry capital, which is celebrated in June during a festival that ends with a competition between cherry growers. Throughout its history, the small town has experienced tragic episodes and popular uprisings that have been severely repressed.At an altitude of nearly 1,800 m, Aïn El-Hammam, built on the side of the wall, is known for its production of brightly coloured carpets.A few kilometres northeast of the small town, by the N71 road that joins the Bejaïa road, the village of Aït Hichem brings together every year producers and lovers of Berber carpets and weavings.A few kilometres further on, we can see, perched on a peak, the village of Koukou, quite representative of the Kabyle villages. Also worth seeing in the surroundings is the cave of Du Macchabee where an intriguing "mummy" sleeps and a cave strewn with monkey skeletons, the Monkey Cemetery.Back on the N15, you can also take the tiny W17, on the left before entering Aïn El-Hammam, which goes down by tight bends to Djemaa whose channelled water supplies Aïn El-Hammam and its surroundings.Shortly after the wadi, the W17 joins the N30 and Béni Yenni, a group of hamlets scattered in altitude (Aït Lahcene, Aït Larbaa, Taourirt Mimoun and Agouni Ahmed).From Tizi Ouzou, the second road, the N30, still passes through the Taksebt dam, which retains the waters of a small lake and leads to the very heart of the Djurdjura massif, passing near Beni Yenni, a village at an altitude of 900 m known for the skill of its craftsmen, jewellers for generations. Take advantage of this visit to fill up with colorful Kabyle jewellery at unbeatable prices.About twenty kilometres to the south and after several hairpins, one must choose, at Tizi N'kouilal, between continuing southwards and passing at the foot of Lalla Khedidja, the highest peak in the massif, or taking the N33 which leads via a vertiginous series of belvederes to the mountain station of Tikjda (1,475 m) at the foot of Akouber, famous for the duration of its snow cover before gently going down towards Bouira (525 m). This road is often closed in winter due to snow, but it is beautiful and takes us far away... In Tikjda, as elsewhere, the facilities no longer allow skiing on the slopes. In winter, people only come here to "see the snow" and enjoy the quiet.20 km south of Tizi Ouzou, on the road to Beni Douala, on a small road that runs parallel to the N30 towards Ouadhia, a stele commemorates the murder by "an unidentified armed group" of the Kabyle singer Matoub Lounès.By this road, the N33, we crossed part of the Djurdjura National Park (area: 18,500 ha). It was created in 1983 to protect the massif which, from snow-covered peaks to thick forests, from gorges to valleys, from the lake to the high plateaus, shelters a beautiful quantity of animal species including the magot monkey, the boar, the boar, the striped hyena, the falcon or the grey heron... We even see wolves.West of Tizi Ouzou, the N25 bypasses the Djurdjura massif before joining the N5 for Bouira. In Draa El-Mizan, turn left onto the road to Boghni. About ten kilometres north of the village, hidden at the bottom of a valley under the gaze of an old Ottoman fort, we arrive at Souk El-Khemis ("Thursday market"), a hamlet that can be recognized by its sign indicating a House of crafts. This is what we would call in France an ecomuseum. The interior of a typical Kabyle house has been reconstructed there where one finds among the usual objects almost all the artisanal production of the region (pottery, wood, weaving...) of which the most famous is the Maatkas pottery. Maatkas refers to the territory between Tizi Ouzou and Boghni, in the south, around the daïra on the W128 road. Part of the region's economy is traditionally based on pottery produced mainly by the women Aït Khlil, Aït Smaïl and Aït Kheir. Made from the red clay found on site, these glazed pottery are renowned for their shapes and decoration that makes the best use of Berber symbolism. Every year, in June, a big celebration brings together potters from all the villages.South of Boghni, a small road, often covered with snow in winter, leads to the Talaguilef mountain resort, at an altitude of nearly 2,000 m, on the edge of a cedar and oak forest.Important. This mountainous area of Kabylia remains unsafe and we recommend that you do not go there alone and that you check with local authorities and the police before travelling in this massif. It was there that the French hostage Hervé Gourdel was kidnapped and then murdered in September 2014. The greatest caution must therefore be exercised, even if since the 1990s no Frenchman had been the victim of kidnapping in Algeria.