Exploring the stunning Constantine

Constantine sits on cliffs above the Rhumel River in Algeria, and bridges tie the whole thing together. The city has been standing in some form since the Phoenicians founded it, and a Roman fort came later, which is why the old medina feels older than almost anywhere you've walked. Some of that history is right at hand. Other parts have weathered away, and the stone tells you plainly which is which.

Then there are the bridges. The Sidi M'Cid Bridge rises 175 metres over the gorge, and from the railing the river below shrinks to a thin green line. That's not for everyone. If heights bother you, it's fine to admire the structure from solid ground and let someone else queue for the photo. The stonework itself rewards a slow look, and the masons who cut those blocks clearly took their time, since the joints still hold a clean line after more than a century.

Constantine's food is worth the journey on its own. Couscous and merguez turn up on nearly every menu, and the pastries come in a range of shapes that's almost funny. I lost count after the sixth plate, which the waiter found amusing. The sweet mint tea served in local cafes catches you off guard. Your waistline might not thank you, but your stomach certainly will.

The Cirta Museum is small, and that's part of its charm. Inside, Roman mosaics and old relics fill a handful of rooms with more care than most grand institutions manage. It's easy to spend an hour examining how long people have been negotiating politics and commerce and arguing over who stole whose toga. The labels are in Arabic and French, so I pieced together the dates from what I already knew, and a curator standing near the second room corrected one of them for me.

Getting around takes some nerve. Taxi rides follow tight lanes and abrupt drop-offs, and the traffic seems to obey rules of its own invention. The drivers I met were patient and expert, and one of them pointed out a viewpoint I'd have missed on my own. Grab the door, relax, and the city eventually unfolds in front of you.

Visiting Constantine asks a little effort, though the rewards come quickly. A few days here cover a lot of ground: the cliffs, the bridges, the medina, and at least one long lunch. My flight home left at dawn, and the taxi was already waiting.