Algeria
Constantine
A city on a rock, stitched to the world by bridges across a gorge.
Constantine is built on a rock plateau that the Rhumel river has cut almost free with a gorge deep enough to make your stomach drop. Bridges join it to the rest of the city: the Sidi M'Cid suspension bridge strung high above the water, the stone arches of Sidi Rached, the new Salah Bey viaduct. Its history runs from Numidian Cirta through Roman, Ottoman and French rule. This is eastern Algeria's cultural capital, home of malouf music and the Palace of Ahmed Bey, with Roman Tiddis and Djemila within a day's reach.
Suggested stay
2–3 days
Language
Arabic, French
Currency
DZD
Timezone
UTC+1
Why you'll love Constantine
The gorge The Rhumel cuts a sheer canyon around the old city, and crossing the Sidi M'Cid bridge high above it is unforgettable
Ottoman grace The Palace of Ahmed Bey, with its courtyards, painted tiles and orange-tree gardens, is one of Algeria's finest buildings
Malouf Constantine is the home of Algeria's malouf, the Andalusian music tradition its musicians still play
Roman hinterland Tiddis, Djemila and Timgad all lie within a day trip
Best time to visit
Feb-Jun, Sep-Dec
13-31° days
36.364° N, 6.608° E
UTC+1 · Africa/Algiers
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Weather & when to go to Constantine
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Feb-Jun, Sep-Dec
Watch for Jul extreme heat risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Constantine
There is no month to rule out. Jul-Aug are hot on the plateau, and Jan is the coldest month: raw and damp, with the odd snowfall. Ramadan moves each year and slows daytime life, though the evenings come alive. Tourism here is light, so expect few English signs and a city that runs on its own rhythm.
Top things to do in Constantine
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Sidi M'Cid bridge - walk across the gorge
scenic history 👍 PopularA 1912 suspension bridge strung across the Rhumel gorge more than 150 metres above the river, with dizzying views straight down and back to the houses on the cliff edge. It is the city's emblem.
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Palace of Ahmed Bey - the last bey's residence
history culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedAhmed Bey built this palace in the decade before the French took the city in 1837. It has arcaded courtyards, gardens of orange and palm trees, marble columns, tiles and painted walls, and it now holds a museum of popular arts and traditions.
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The bridges circuit - Sidi Rached, El Kantara and Salah Bey
scenic 👍 PopularWalk between the bridges that define the city: the great stone arches of Sidi Rached, El Kantara on the site of the Roman crossing, the Mellah Slimane footbridge and the modern Salah Bey viaduct sweeping over the valley.
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Emir Abdelkader Mosque - the twin minarets
culture arts 👍 PopularOne of the largest mosques in Africa, finished in the 1990s with two slender minarets and a vast prayer hall, alongside the Islamic university named for the same 19th-century resistance leader. Dress modestly and avoid prayer times.
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Monument aux Morts - the arch above the gorge
scenic historyA First World War memorial modelled on the Roman Arch of Trajan at Timgad and topped by a winged Victory, on the heights across Sidi M'Cid. It gives the best view back over the rock, the bridges and the gorge.
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Souika - the old quarter
history culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedThe steep lanes of the Ottoman-era old town run down towards Sidi Rached, with mosques, old houses, small workshops and street markets. Many buildings are crumbling, which is part of its atmosphere.
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Cirta Museum - Numidian and Roman finds
historyOne of Algeria's oldest museums, named after the city's ancient name. It covers Numidian, Roman and Islamic finds from the region, including pieces from Tiddis.
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Constantine cable car - over the Rhumel valley
scenicThe urban cable car swings across the Rhumel valley between the centre and the districts on the far side, a cheap thrill that doubles as transport and shows the gorge from above.
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Constantine cooking - chorba frik, chbah essafra and jawzia
foodTry jari, the city's chorba frik made with cracked green wheat; chbah essafra, an almond pastry dish in a sweet orange-blossom sauce; and trida, a dish of hand-cut pasta. Take home jawzia, Constantine's walnut-and-honey nougat.
Best areas to stay in Constantine
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
City centre (the Rock)
First-time visitors $$Colonial boulevards on the gorge's edge
Explore hotels in City centre (the Rock) →
Sidi Mabrouk
Quieter base $$Calmer residential district across the gorge
Explore hotels in Sidi Mabrouk →
Ali Mendjeli
Business and drivers $$Modern new town on the plateau
Explore hotels in Ali Mendjeli →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Constantine
Getting to & around Constantine
Getting there
Fly into Constantine (CZL), about 20 minutes by taxi to the centre
Flight
Mohamed Boudiaf International Airport (CZL)
The airport sits south of the city near Ain El Bey, with domestic flights from Algiers and direct routes from France; a taxi to the centre takes about 20-30 minutes depending on traffic.
Train
Constantine railway station
Trains from Algiers take most of a day; the station sits below the El Kantara bridge, a short walk or taxi ride from the centre
Coach
Long-distance buses link Constantine with Algiers, Setif, Annaba and Batna along the East-West highway
Drive
The East-West highway connects Constantine with Algiers in roughly 5 hours
Getting around
Walking
The best way to cover the Rock, the bridges and Souika, though the streets are steep
Free
Tram
A modern line runs from the centre south through the city towards Ali Mendjeli
TBC
Cable car
Crosses the Rhumel valley between the centre and the districts beyond
TBC
Taxi
Plentiful and the easy way to reach the Emir Abdelkader Mosque and Monument aux Morts; agree the fare first if there is no meter
TBC
Day trips from Constantine
Tiddis
Half dayRoman hillside town
A small Roman town stacked up a red rock hillside above a gorge, with cisterns, a stepped street and a gate, birthplace of Lollius Urbicus, who built the Antonine Wall in Britain. You will often have it to yourself.
Getting there
car
About 45 minutes north-west by car or taxi
Djemila
Full dayRoman mountain ruins
Ancient Cuicul spreads along a ridge in the hills, with two forums, temples, a theatre, a triumphal arch and a museum of fine mosaics. It is a UNESCO site and one of the best-preserved Roman towns in North Africa.
Getting there
car | tour
About 2 hours west by car
Timgad and the Medracen
Full dayRoman city and Numidian tomb
Trajan's grid-planned colony at Timgad, with its arch, theatre and long colonnaded streets on the high plain, paired with a stop at the Medracen, the stepped royal tomb of Numidia's kings.
Getting there
car | tour
About 2-2.5 hours south by car via Batna
Hammam Debagh
Full dayHot spring terraces
Also known as Hammam Meskhoutine, where scalding spring water pours over steaming white and ochre travertine cascades. Combine it with Guelma's Roman theatre.
Getting there
car
About 1.5 hours east by car towards Guelma
A little history of Constantine
As Cirta, the rock was the capital of the Numidian kings, Syphax and then Masinissa, Rome's ally against Carthage. Jugurtha's seizure of the city in 112 BC led to war with Rome. Under the empire it prospered as a regional capital. After it was wrecked in a civil war, Emperor Constantine rebuilt it in 313 and gave it his name.
Arab dynasties followed, then the Ottomans, under whom it was the seat of the beylik of the east. Salah Bey filled it with mosques and madrasas, and Ahmed Bey built his palace and held off a French siege in 1836, before the city fell the next year. The French added boulevards and, in 1912, the great bridges. After independence Constantine grew far beyond the rock into new towns on the surrounding plateau.
Cirta is the capital of the Numidian kingdom under Syphax and then Masinissa
Jugurtha takes Cirta, sparking the Jugurthine War with Rome
Emperor Constantine rebuilds the city after its destruction and renames it
Salah Bey governs the Ottoman beylik and builds mosques and madrasas
Ahmed Bey builds his palace
French forces capture the city, a year after a failed first siege
The Sidi M'Cid and Sidi Rached bridges open
Algeria becomes independent
The Salah Bey viaduct opens across the Rhumel valley
Know before you go
Payment
Cash preferred
English
Limited
Wifi
Workable
Power
Type C / F
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+213
Extreme heat risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
FAQs about Constantine
▸ When is the best time to visit Constantine?
Feb-Jun and Sep-Dec are the most comfortable months for walking the bridges and day trips to the Roman sites. Jul-Aug are hot, which makes long days at Djemila or Timgad hard work, and Jan is the coldest, dampest month.
▸ How many days do you need in Constantine?
Two days covers the bridges, the Palace of Ahmed Bey, Souika and the Monument aux Morts. Add a third for Tiddis or Djemila, and a fourth if you want Timgad too.
▸ Which bridge has the best views?
Sidi M'Cid, the high suspension bridge, gives the most dramatic look down into the gorge. The Monument aux Morts above it gives the best overview of the rock and its bridges, and the Salah Bey viaduct is best seen from a distance.
▸ Do I need a visa to visit Constantine?
Most nationalities need a visa for Algeria, arranged in advance through an Algerian consulate, so start early. Check the current rules for your passport before booking.
▸ Is Constantine easy to visit independently?
Yes, the city is used to domestic visitors and easy to walk around, but international tourism is light, so French and Arabic go much further than English. Expect police checkpoints on roads out of town, carry your passport, and check your own government's current advice.