We had the pleasure of visiting this amazing city in the North of Ethiopia. It’s a city rich with cultural heritage and amazing historical sites. It has quite a handful of churches and castles built by emperors around the 12th to 20th centuries. This treasure chest of royalty makes it one of the most visited places in Ethiopia and one of our favourites in Ethiopia.
From the magnificent Fasilides Bath to the stately Debre Birhan Selassie Church, Gondar should be on top of your bucket list of tourist destinations in Ethiopia.
If you ever plan to visit, here is our list of things to do in Gondar, keep reading!
Tour around Fasilides’ Bath
Fasilides Bath in Gondar
The Fasilides’ Bath is a must-see and should be one of the first stops on your tour. Located northwest of the piazza, Fasilides’ Bath is surrounded by a beautiful landscape of trees with snake-like roots, stone walls and a large pool for swimming.
It was originally designed for religious purposes and was built by Fasilides who used it as his personal bath.
The place was later used in honour for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Epiphany Festival, Timkat. During this festival, the water is blessed by the bishop before everyone dives in to take a dip. The baptism is symbolic of Christ baptism in the River Jordan.
The Timkat festival makes the Fasilides bath very popular among tourists and locals and is perfect if you want a first-hand experience of a bath fit for a king. Besides swimming which only takes place during the festival, you can also take pictures and enjoy guided tours around the building.
Religious Tour to Debre Birhan Selassie Church
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- Church’s ceiling
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- Debre Birhan Selassie Church
The Ethiopian Emperors built lots of churches during the 15th century. Of all the churches built in Gondar, only a few survived. One of these is the Debre Birhan Selassie Church.
It is said that in the 1880s a swarm of bees flew out of the compound and chased a band of Sudanese marauders who wanted to deface the building. We didn‘t meet any bees during our visit though. 🙂
Debre Birhan Selassie is a sight to behold. It’s stone walls, two-tiered thatch roof, arched doors and of course glorious frescos make the church a symbol of artistic genius.
The ceiling is adorned with rows upon rows of about 135 winged cherubs, which are said to represent the omnipresence of God.
In the compound, a large stone wall with 12 towers stand tall. These twelve towers are said to represent the twelve apostles. A thirteenth tower stands at the entrance and is said to represent Christ.
Priests offer guided tours for a token. And what better way to appreciate the rich history of this church if not from a priest? Flash photos are forbidden in the church building though.
Tour around the Palace of Empress Mentewab
Built in 1730, this stately complex consists of a series of buildings, including a palace used for receptions. The exterior is lined with figures like St Samuel, a lion, and Gonderian crosses.
The church was destroyed a long time ago by marauders. In the museum, there is a small glass-fronted coffin with remains of the empress, her son Emperor Iyasu II and her grandson Iyo’as, who is also the last emperor of Gondar.
Tour around Fasil Ghebbi
Fasil Ghebbi Fortress
Built by Emperor Fasilides, Fasil Ghebbi was a fortress city with ancient buildings and palaces. This massive 70,000 sq meter was rebuilt by UNESCO to become a World Heritage Site and one of the top sights in Gondar.
The Fasil Ghebbi is home to the Fasilides Palace, the most impressive building in the Fasil Ghebbi. The palace is made of roughly hewn stones.
The Fasil Ghebbi also houses the saddle-shaped palace of Iyasu a ruler who is considered to have been the greatest ruler of the Gonderine era. It is said the palace was lavished with gilded Venetian mirrors and chairs, ivory and gold.
The Fasil Ghebbi also houses other important structures like the Atatami Mikael Church, Dawits Hall, and a quadrangular library of Fasiladas’ son, Yohannes I.
Tour around Gondar City
Gondar City itself is a tourist attraction as well. You can visit any of the local craft markets, buy local food served by street vendors, drink fresh coffee, or better yet enjoy comedy from the Sewe Beye, Ethiopia’s finest azmaris.
Buy crafts at Ploughshare Women Crafts Training Center
Located in Wolleka, the Ploughshare Women Crafts Training Center is passionate about helping disadvantaged women learn local pottery traditions, traditional weaving, and basketry.
You can buy baskets, pottery and other hand made crafts as a way to encourage women and also learn a thing or two on traditional weaving methods.
Visit Falasha Village
Falasha village was home to Jewish craftsmen in the 19th century. Located not too far from Gondar, the village has become one of the tourist attractions in the city. It is also called Wolleka Falasha and is now occupied by the Gondar residents.
The Jews who once lived there left for the nearest countries during the Operation Moses period. You will find many ancient and modern crafts in this part of Gondar as the villagers exhibit their handwork for people to buy.
Coffee Drinking at Senait Coffee Shop
The best coffee is brewed in Ethiopia and if you love coffee, you have to try Ethiopia’s coffee before wrapping up your tour.
Our favourite coffee in Gondar we found at the Senait Coffee Shop. Cappuccino, espressos, latte, mocha, you name it, Senait have you covered.
Located directly opposite the exit of the Riua Enclosure, Senait serves you one of Ethiopia’s strongest and traditional brews of the highest quality.
Dinner at the Four Sisters Restaurant
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- Streets in Gondar
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- Gondar City Tour
You shouldn’t tour Gondar without tasting any of the delicious local cuisines. Ethiopian dishes typically consist of injera, a staple meal made from sourdough. Injera serves as a base for a host of vegetable and meat dishes like wot and tibs.
Our favourite place in Gondar was the Four Sisters Restaurant. Apart from serving some of the best local dishes, the restaurant also serves European food and occasional lunch buffet. And then you’ll get to enjoy traditional music and dancing during and between meals. You can even join the dancing if you’re up for it. 🙂
The Debre Berhan inspired paintings, stone walls and leafy facade makes the Four Sisters a top spot for food, relaxation and night music.
There you have it, our favourites in Gondar. What do you think of our list? What’s number one on your list? We would love to read your comments below!
Gondar Camelot of Africa when you visit Gondar you see the religion, art,culture and much more in the history of Ethiopia. visiting the Castles of emperor Fassiladas, his swimming pool, the empress Minitab’s Palace, the Banquet Room of Emperor Bakaffa… the 17-century church of Debre Birhan Sillassie. Gondar is the palace town with a large number of different palaces,3 churches and many churches found in the city.