Annaba is Algeria's fourth-largest city, situated in the extreme northeast near the Tunisian border. It can be reached as a day trip from Tunisia, and the proximity gives the city something of a border-town energy — active, commercial, and cosmopolitan by Algerian standards.
The city was founded by Phoenicians as Hippo Regius, allied with Carthage, and later flourished as a Roman commercial port. It became an early centre of Christianity; Saint Augustine was bishop here from 396 until the Vandal siege of 430, during which he died. The ruins of ancient Hippo Regius lie just outside the modern city.
Today Annaba has the feel of a French colonial town that never quite recovered from independence but remains lively. The tree-lined Cours de la Révolution is a pleasant promenade with cafes and activity in the late afternoon. The hilltop Basilica of Saint Augustine (built 1881, modelled on Sacré-Cœur) is the main landmark and offers good views over the city and bay. South of the city, the archaeological site of Hippo Regius contains Roman-era ruins including a forum, baths, and mosaic floors — the remains of the city where Augustine lived and wrote.