Amhara region is exceptional for its landscape
and home of Ethiopia's most famous historic
and religious sites. Visit the rock-hewn
churches of Lalibela, the Monasteries of Lake
Tana, the castles of Gondar, the Semien Mountains
National Park, and the Blue Nile Falls
Bahir Dar
With its wide avenues of palms and flamboyant
trees, and its scenic location on the southern
shore of Lake Tana, Bahir Dar is one of Ethiopia's
most attractive towns. Here you will find
source of the Blue Nile and
the former Palace of Haile Selassie.
Lake Tana with its 37 islands
is home to many monasteries.
Some of these monasteries were built as long
ago as the 11th century, and most were built
in 16th or 17th century. Many have long provided
a safe sanctuary for royal treasures and tombs.
The most popular are Ura Kidene Meret,
Kebran Gabriel (not open to women) and Debre
Maryam. .
Tis Isat or the Blue Nile
Falls are about an hour by tour bus from Bahir
Dar. The falls, over 400m (1312ft) wide and
45m (148ft) deep, are at their most spectacular
immediately after the rainy season (mid September
to mid October)
Lalibela
People come to Lalibela to see its amazing 12th-century
rock-hewn churches, hewn straight out of the
bedrock. The city is named after the 12th-century
King Lalibela, who established his capital there
after God came to him in a dream and told him
to. All 11 rock churches were built within a
century, apparently with the help of angels
who popped in during the night and did a bit
of divine stonemasonry. The churches have been
kept alive by generations of priests who guard
their treasures of ornamented crosses, illuminated
bibles and illustrated manuscripts.
Gondar
Gondar has been called Africa's Camelot, was
the capital of Ethiopia from its foundation
by Emperor Fasiladas in 1636 until 1886. Gondar's
Royal Enclosure contains many
castles and palaces. Fasiladas'
Bath constructed for important religious
celebrations is still being used today for Timkat
ceremony. Kweskwam Complex
built by the Empress Mentewab. Debre
Berhan Selassie Church is Ethiopia's
most famous church.
Simien Mountains National
Park
This park is excellent for trekking,
with spectacular views and a large variety of
wildlife, including baboons,
ibexes, Ethiopian wolves and birds of prey such
as the rare lammergeyer, a huge vulture. The
park is made up of a rocky massif which slopes
down to grasslands - the massif is cut by streams
and gorges. Treks run from two to ten days,
and you can either slog it out on foot or let
a mule do the walking for you. The treks build
up to an ascent of Africa's fourth highest peak,
Ras Dashen. Treks start at
Debark, which is about 100km (60mi) north of
Gonder - you can get between the two by bus.
