Travel bucket list: UNESCO sites to behold, Asmara – Eritrea
Already on the radar of intrepid African travellers, the Eritrean capital Asmara is a mix of time warp and culture clash perched high on the east African escarpment. Eritrea was an Italian colony for about 50 years from the late 19th to mid 20th centuries and Asmara is a relic of that era, a treasury of what may be termed Mussolini modernist architecture. There’s a distinct retro charm in the villas, cinemas and even service stations rendered in styles as diverse as art deco, cubist and neo-romanesque. Visitors also will appreciate those other legacies of Italian occupation, pizza and pasta.
HOW TO VISIT
British adventure holiday outfit Undiscovered Destinations organises 10-day trips to Eritrea that visit Asmara, the mountains, the Red Sea coast and remnants of imperial Rome.