TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY JENNY VAUGHAN.A man picks up a bowling ball in the Asmara bowling alley in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, on July 20, 2013. Eritrea's capital Asmara boasts buildings unlike anywhere else in Africa, a legacy of its Italian colonial past, when architects were given free reign for structures judged too avant garde back home. Yet while many of the buildings survived unscathed from a decades long liberation war from Ethiopia that ravaged settlements elsewhere, today, preservation and restoration projects have been hampered, threatening to erode the country's rich cultural heritage. AFP PHOTOS / JENNY VAUGHAN (Photo credit should read JENNY VAUGHAN/AFP/Getty Images)

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Asmara

An unexpectedly delightful capital city, Asmara is dotted with marvellous art deco and modernist architecture, authentic street-front coffee shops that make for prime people-watching, and sobering testaments to the many difficult years of fighting in the lead up to, and ensuing years since, independence. Also, as long as travel restrictions remain in place for the rest of the country, Asmara offers the most freedom to travellers, with anywhere within 25km of the city fair game for exploration without needing to apply for travel permits.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Tank Graveyard

    Tank Graveyard

    Asmara

    Part junkyard, part memorial, the ruins of military vehicles from around the country have been dragged to this open field in the years since heavy…

  • Opera House

    Opera House

    Asmara

    The Opera House, completed around 1920, is one of Asmara's most elegant early–20th-century buildings. It's free to have a look around during the resident…

  • Bowling Alley

    Bowling Alley

    Asmara

    A block south of the Municipality Building, the Bowling Alley is one of the few genuine 1950s alleys left in the world. It was probably built for US…

  • Fiat Tagliero Building

    Fiat Tagliero Building

    Asmara

    A futurist departure from the art deco standard that defines most of the notable Italian-era buildings in Asmara, this former petrol station was…

  • Medebar Market

    Medebar Market

    Asmara

    Duck up northeast to soak up the atmosphere of the Medebar Market. No doubt you'll be awestruck the minute you enter this mind-boggling place. It's an…

  • Emba Derho

    Emba Derho

    Asmara

    This small village on the road to Keren is within the 25km limit from Asmara within which travellers can move freely without permits, and the foothills…

  • Villa Roma

    Villa Roma

    Asmara

    Opposite the Africa Pension Hotel, the gleaming Villa Roma is reminiscent of a Roman villa with its marble staircases, louvred shutters, curving…

  • Central Market

    Central Market

    Asmara

    North of Harnet Ave, the sprawling Central Market is one of Asmara's major attractions. The best time to visit is early on Saturday, when people come in…

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Articles

Latest stories from Asmara

Flanked by two bland, sand-coloured buildings is the red, sleek-looking Cinema Imperio. Above the cantelevered cement awning that runs the length of the building are three symetrical rows of window climbing vertically up the building. On one side of them 'CINEMA' is written vertically in bold gold letters, on the other side is 'IMPERIO' © Stephen Lioy / Photography and Travel Media

Art

Should Eritrea be on your horizon?

Oct 12, 2018 • 6 min read

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