Addis Ababa to Gondar excursion covers a distance of about 500 kilometers. Gondar lies at the foothills of the Simien Mountains. This city was founded by Emperor Fasilidas somewhere around 1635. The place is visited by a good number of tourists every year especially during the Timket Festival in the month of January. The various tourist attractions of Gondar are:
- Dawit's Hall
- Fasilides castle
- Mentewab's Castle
- Fasiladas' Bath
- Iyasu's Palace
- Debre Berhan Selassie Church
- Ras Mikael Sehul's Palace
- Qusquam complex
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Fasilides castle is the oldest castle of Gondar and reflects a blend of Indian, Axumite and Portuguese architecture. The upper storey gives a spectacular view of Lake Tana on a clear day. Fasiladas' Bath is used during the Timket Festival. Iyasu's Palace was decorated with ivory, precious stones, mirrors and beautiful paintings of palm trees. But this suffered a heavy damage during an earthquake of the 19th century. Debre Berhan Selassie Church is located in the north-west of Gondar. The walls are painted with historical scenes.
There are good hotels in Gondar like the Yimam, Abba Jelli Hotel, Misrak Pension, Patrice Lumumba, Fasilades and Fagera Hotel. There are also a number of restaurants in Gondar. Gondar has a mid-sized airport. Bus services are available from Addis Ababa to Gondar that takes two days to reach Gondar.
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