From afar, the city of Algiers seems to rise directly from the deep blue waters of the scintillating Mediterranean Sea in a haze of shimmering white, set in stark contrast to the pine-clad hills and craggy cliffs that enfold it to the north and south. Over its millennia-long history it has played host to Berber dynasties, Barbary outlaws, Ottoman pashas and French colonialists alike; which is why there are Parisian avenues to be found shooting out from the tight-knit lanes of the central Kasbah, and the menus of the earthy eateries here mix fresh Mediterranean fish catches with Moorish chick pea curries and North African tagines. For sightseers, most Algiers tour guides will recommend a jaunt through the dusty passages of the arabesque Kasbah, afterwards breaking out to the bulbous domes of the Notre Dame d'Afrique Cathedral and the intricate interiors of the Grand and New mosques. There is also the striking avant-garde Monument des Martyrs, the leafy gardens of Le Jardin d'Essai du Hamma and a whole host of museums to explore, before joining the locals for a relaxed evening at the Corniche.