Aurès Mountains

The Aurès Mountains rise sharply south of Batna, reaching over 2,300 metres at Djebel Chelia, the highest peak in northern Algeria. This is Chaoui Berber country — the Chaouia people have lived in these valleys and gorges for millennia, and their villages, terraced fields, and traditional architecture survive in the more remote corners of the range in a way that lowland Algeria has mostly lost.

The road south from Batna through the Gorges du Rhummel and into the valley of the Oued El Abiod is one of the most dramatic drives in Algeria, passing through deep ravines of reddish limestone before opening into wide fertile basins where apricot and fig orchards line the river. The town of Arris, about 80 kilometres south, is the main Chaoui market town and a good base for hikes. Villages like Menaa and Bouzina reward those willing to leave the main road. You will need a car — public transport into the mountains is infrequent and erratic.

things to do sight
A story
The Aurès was the only part of Algeria that never fully submitted to Roman rule — the Chaouia Berbers retreated into these mountains when the legions arrived and maintained an independent existence throughout the occupation. In the 20th century the region ignited the Algerian War of Independence: the first armed attack on 1 November 1954 took place in the Aurès, at the town of Arris, and the mountains provided a base for the FLN guerrillas for years afterwards. UNESCO recognised the cultural landscape of the Aurès in 2011.