The most unique aspect of many towns and cities in Ethiopia is their distinctiveness. Probably the best known is Addis Ababa, large and bustling, whereas Harar is an ancient walled city where you feel yourself slipping back in time. By contrast to Addis the town of Axum is remote and located somewhere at the end of the world, while Bahirdar is relaxed and tropical.

Among the most inspiring and charming of places is Gonder Ethiopia with its art-deco Italian elegance. Whichever places tourists visit Gonder Ethiopia should be on their must see list of destinations.

Gondar is re-known for its 300 year old Disney like castles and absorbing architecture from the 1930’s. It also offers an amazing array of colorful flowers that tempt one to stay a lot longer than planned.

Gonder Ethiopia is located in the northwest region of Ethiopia with the Simien Mountains to the north and Lake Tana to the south. With impressive roads to the north and east many tourists travel to Gondar from Bahirdar, Axum or over the Simien Mountain range.

This part of the Abyssinian plateau provides one of the greatest adventures in this region but is the most difficult to travel if we are talking about the main roads in the north of Ethiopia. Built in the 1930’s during the occupation by the Italians, the road to Axum is without any doubt, an extreme engineering undertaking. The road crawls up and down with hairpin bends that stretch for many kilometers. It passes over the Simien mountain range, the highest in Ethiopia, which makes it another obligatory destination for tourists.

Trekking over the Simien Mountains is becoming more popular, tempting those who want the adventure of visiting one of the few remaining un-spoilt travel destinations. Simien is definitely one of those spots, obviously getting less and less so.

No matter how you reach Gondar, its appeal will cause you to want to stay longer than you planned. For those who travel trying to search traces of history Gondar has a great deal to offer including breathtaking views.

Hub of the Empire
Gondar was established where the long-distance trade routes crossed. Gold, salt, ivory and slaves were carried, sold and bought there. It is hard to establish when the place started to function as an urban center.

It is however clear, that Gonder’s rise is closely tied to the movement of the empire’s political center that occurred in the 17th century. From this moment on, it started to play a role of a permanent capital of Ethiopia, the first since the times of Axumite Empire.

Before the rise of Gonder successive Emperors along with their courtiers would exercise powers from nomadic encampments. Gonder functioned as a political center of the Empire until the mid-19th Century and then the town was abandoned and slowly deteriorated.

Ethiopia was occupied by Italy in 1936 following a bloody war. Emperor Haile Selassie I, concerned that staying in the country would mean death to him and those close to him, escaped to Europe to continue his struggle in excile. Gondar was by then the long forgotten place, with its castles left to fall into disrepair.

The town however with its healthy climate and its charm became a favorite place of the Italian occupiers. The settlement of the Italians brought about a new beginning for Gondar. They pronounced it a capital of a newly established Amhara province and started building houses: hotels, residences, administration offices.

They also created a man-made lake, just to provide the provinces governor with a lakeside residency, what is now one of the most attractive Gonder hotels. Under the Italian influence the town developed an art-deco style, where Italian restaurants and coffee houses were found in abundance as they still are to this day.

About the Author
Dr. Rubinkowska travels frequently to Ethiopia. She specializes in modern history of Ethiopia and currently lectures at Warsaw University, Department of African Languages and Cultures.

More information on ethiopia tourism is available at ethiopiantour.com or you can follow the continuation about the castles and ruins at gonder ethiopia where on an ethiopian blog we also have other travel reviews and facts about Ethiopia.