A weekend in Gondar

Gondar

Late afternoon flight to the fantastic and mythical ancient capital of Abyssinia. You will enjoy your stay in this superb city, the only one in Black Africa to have castles. You will also have the opportunity in this sumptuous city to linger at one of the best restaurants in the city and indeed the country.

Overnight at Goha Hotel

Gondar

After the Muslim invasions that devastated the country during the 16th century, Emperor Fasilidas finally established his capital in Gondar. The city retained this prestigious status until the mid-19th century. From this glorious period of Ethiopian history, we will admire the imperial city, where numerous monuments were built between the 17th and 18th centuries, still magnificently preserved today: the castle of Fasilidas, the first construction, massive and powerful; the castle of Yasu I with its slender form; the castles of Bakka and Mentouab; the Music Palace of David III; the castle of Qusquam. It is a surreal spectacle to admire these European-inspired constructions in the heart of Africa. It is true that Portuguese Jesuits were present at the Court of the Kings of Gondar during the 17th century. They had been entrusted by the Pope with the mission of bringing the heretical kingdom of Prester John back into the fold of Rome. Pedro Paez, the most illustrious of the Jesuits, came close to succeeding, but the Ethiopians remained Orthodox, attached to the Church of Alexandria.

Overnight at Goha Hotel

Gondar

Will you be part of the crowd of faithful who will immerse themselves in the waters of Fasiladas’ baths to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Epiphany, or will you rather come to taste the tranquility of the place where trees aspiring to serenity have intertwined with the century-old walls of the sacred enclosure? We will end this day with a visit to the Selassié church of Debre Birhan northeast of the city. This church, built during the reign of Emperor Iyasu and consecrated in 1694, is revered for the magnificent cherubs that adorn its vaults and have set the standard throughout the country and beyond.

Late afternoon flight to Addis Ababa