Tour through Addis Ababa: How to do it yourself

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We take a DIY tour through Addis Ababa and share our insights into the exploration of the city

So to Addis Ababa, the last station of our one -month Ethiopian epic. It is not unfair to say that this extensive expanse of brown colored avenues has little happiness or charm. Most tourists only keep on the way to the better sights of the country.

However,

add -on is an act of foolishness, because Addis is essential to understand Ethiopia. The capital is the home of Lucy, the famous fossil that has rewritten the history of mankind; It houses over 110 international messages; and is the headquarters of the African Union.

Addis Ababa offers excellent cuisine, fascinating museums and a unique insight into the many contradictions in Ethiopia. It is both internationally and narrow -minded, progressive and religious, develops but fights.

After a few days to reoré ourselves in Bishoftu, we were ready to explore again. We ventured on a do-it-yourself tour through Addis Ababa to take a look at the extensive city from the street.

hiking map of Addis Ababa

Distance: 8 km walking time: 1 hour 40 mgesamt period: 8 hours (depending on the time expenditure for every attraction)

We stayed in the Sheraton Addis and took a taxi to the first attraction of our tour (the cathedral of the Holy Trinity). If you want to walk the entire circular route from and back to the Sheraton on foot, plan a distance of 12 km and a walking time of 2 hours 30 minutes.

tour through Addis Ababa sights

Cathedral of the Holy Trinity

The cathedral of the Holy Trinity is one of the most important places of worship in Ethiopia. With a large copper dome, decorated towers and a fascinating mix of architectural styles, it is a good starting point for your tour through Addis Ababa.

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Inside the cathedral there are magnificent wall paintings, glittering colored glass windows and the large granite tombs by Kaiser Haile Selassie and his wife, Empress Menen Asfaw.

You may need to recruit a locals that will help you find the priest who properly grants you admission to the cathedral - often against a small donation.

stop at the churchyard, on which the graves of some patriots are located to the Italian occupation - including the British Suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst, which died in Addis Ababa in 1960 and received a full -fledged state funeral!

National Museum of Ethiopia

The National Museum of Ethiopia is a worthy stopover on its tour through Addis Ababa, if only to see the occupation of Lucy, the fossil that has rewritten the history of humanity.

Alt = “Tour through the National Museum of Addis Ababa”> Atlas & Boots The National Museum is an indispensable stop during a tour of addis abba

Lucys 40 % complete skeleton was discovered in 1974 by the paleontologist Donald C. Johanson in the Afar region in Ethiopia and dated to the age of 3.2 million, which made it the early known human ancestor at the time. She was 1.1 m tall and is said to have died as a young adult.

In the basement of the National Museum, there are two casts from Lucy: one in the prone and the other (less impressive) cast, which stands upright. The real bones are kept in the museum archive.

St. Georgs-Cathedral

The inner courtyard of the St. Georgs Cathedral offers a quiet place of calm to observe the believers who are sitting in groups on the benches around the cathedral.

alt = “Walk through the cathedral of Addis Ababa”> Atlas & Boots St. George’s Cathedral offers a break to think

The cathedral, named after the patron saint of Ethiopia, was commissioned by Emperor Menelik II to celebrate his victory over the Italians in Adwa in 1896.

octagonal in the form and in the neoclassical style, St. George’s was completed in 1911 with the help of Greek, Armenian and Indian artists and has played an important role in Ethiopian history. Here Empress Zewditu (1916) and Emperor Haile Selassie (1930) were crowned.

Raizel Café

We had hoped to stop at Tomoca Coffee in the Wawel Street for an urgently needed refreshment. Unfortunately we arrived in the early afternoon and found that the place fluctuated. Instead of the comfortable chairs that we had imagined, we found three standing tables and a small square area, which was mainly filled with men. I didn't feel very comfortable to go into this fight, so instead we continued to the nearby Raizel Cafe.

less characterful, but much more spacious, Raizel is a beautiful place for an aromatic coffee and a piece of fresh cake. Also offer pastries, pizzas and sandwiches, so recharge your batteries before continuing your tour through Addis Ababa.

theg monument

From the Raizel Cafe it is 2 km on foot to the DERG Monument, so you should take a taxi for this part.

The building-officially known as Tiglachin monument-consists of a central statue, two wall reliefs and a 50 m high central pillar.

alt = “Tour through the DERG monument in Addis Ababa”> Atlas & Boots The DERG monument is a moving memory of Ethiopia's communist time

The monument built under the chairman of the Derg, Mengistu Haile Mariam, is decorated with a large red star and golden hammer and sickle and is now a lasting memory of Ethiopia's painful communist time.

It is said that the current government, the EPRDF, which has overthrown the DERG, deliberately disclosed the monument to the decay, and it was even spoken of a demolition.

lion from Juda monument and statue

The Lion of Judah Monument has quite a story. On the eve of Haile Selassie's crowning glory in 1930, it was looted by Italians in 1935 and brought to Rome, where it was set up next to the huge monument for Vittorio Emanuele II.

alt = “The lion from Juda is proud of our tour through Addis Ababa”> Atlas & Boots The lion from Juda is proud of

In 1938, the Eritreig Patriot Zerai Deres discovered the monument during the celebrations in honor of the Italian Empire and interrupted the process to kneel down and pray. Confronted by the police, Deres defended himself with a crook and called: "The lion of Juda has been avenged". He wounded several officials and said reported five before he was shot and arrested. He died seven years later in the Italian prison, but his legend lives on in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The monument was finally returned to Addis Ababa in the 1960s and is now in front of Addis Ababa's main train station. Nearby is the impressive statue of the lion from Juda.

alt = “The statue of the lion from Juda on an addis abba that goes out”> Dreamzeit The statue of the lion from Juda

martyr memorial museum "Red Terror".

The martyr memorial museum "Red Terror" is a small but fine museum dedicated to the victims of the DERG regime. The museum is reminiscent of Cambodia S21 and shows walls with photos that only show some of the estimated half a million people who were killed under which DERG.

alt = “tour of the martyr memorial museum“ Red Terror ”in Addis Ababa”> CC BY-SA 2.0 martyr memorial museum "Roter Terror".

The exhibits include torture instruments, skulls and bones, coffins and the bloody clothing of the victims, which ensure a shocking but important experience.

A closet shows a watch that was given by her husband when he was removed by DERG soldiers. "Consider this. One day you will need it," he told her. When the museum opened, she brought the clock here.

Bonus: Ethnological Museum

Unfortunately we did not make it to the Ethnological Museum, but it is highly recommended by travel guides and locals. The museum covers the breadth of Ethiopia's cultural and social history and is divided into sections based on the life cycle: childhood, adulthood and death and beyond. It covers a wide range of topics, from birth and transition rites to war and medicine to burial sites and graves - probably a stopover on their tour through Addis Abba.

tips for hikes in Addis Ababa

  • in Addis Ababa it can be hot and dusty, so take a lot of water and sunscreen with you.
  • They can be confronted with advertisers. Smile, return your greeting, but just go on.
  • don't carry too much money with yourself and stow your valuables.
  • do not feel guilty when you cancel the tour when you feel tired.

tour through Addis Ababa: The most important

Was: A DIY tour through Addis Ababa.

Where: After a month in Ethiopia, we treated ourselves to the luxury of two nights in the Sheraton Addis, which is lovingly referred to as the "Grand Old Dame of Africa". With its classic decor, the extensive terrain and the flawless uniformed staff, the Sheraton Addis indeed feel great.

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Atlas & Boots | Sheraton

This is the Africa of the diplomats, military and servant news correspondents. One may argue that it is not the "real" Africa, but as we said in Tia, there is no "real" Africa. We were as happy here as everywhere. If you laze about in the lounge with your plush carpet and the brass decorations, you could almost believe that you are in the Orient Express. Add the impressively intuitive staff, a tasteful room and a princely breakfast, and it is difficult to complain about this great old lady of Africa.

When: The best travel time for Addis Ababa in Ethiopia is October to March when most parts of the country have pleasant temperatures, blue sky and low rainfall.

like: The Sheraton Addis runs a free shuttle from and to Bole, the most important international airport in the country. Book international flights via skyscanner.net.

domestic flights are the fastest way to travel to Ethiopia (check the latest routes here). It is much cheaper to book flights in an Ethiopian Airlines office in the country. Be sure to state whether you have flown internationally with you because you are entitled to a significant discount.

Skybus and Selam operate comfortable buses between Addis Ababa and larger cities.

LONELY PLANET ETHIOPIA is a comprehensive travel guide for the country, ideal for those who want to explore the most important sights and take less busy roads. If you prefer to travel on a tour, we recommend G Adventures and their Ethiopia tours in small groups.

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