The Fort of Santa Cruz, perched on Jebel Murdjadjo above the bay, is Oran's most visible landmark — a 16th-century Spanish fortification with a winding road up and sweeping views over the city. The adjoining Chapel of Santa Cruz is a popular pilgrimage and viewpoint.
In the city itself, the colonial-era Place du 1er Novembre is the heart of the French quarter, surrounded by Haussmannian buildings and the ornate Théâtre Régional. The old Ottoman quarter of Sidi El Houari, with the Bey's Palace and the Hassan Pasha Mosque, is being slowly restored and offers the most atmospheric walking in the city.
The Ahmed Zabana Museum is the principal museum, covering Maghrebi prehistory and ethnography. The Sacred Heart Cathedral — now a public library — and the Abdellah Ben Salem Mosque (a converted 19th-century synagogue) capture the layered religious history of the city.