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Highlands
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Explore Eritrea’s Highlands through Asmara’s modernist architecture, mountain landscapes, historic communities, monastic traditions and Tigrinya cuisine.

Eritrea’s Highlands form the elevated centre of the country, a broad, volcanic plateau and escarpment rising dramatically above the Red Sea lowlands. At its heart is Asmara, the capital, set at roughly 2,300 metres and known for its clear light, cool evenings, tree-lined avenues and remarkable concentration of early twentieth-century architecture. Beyond the capital, the landscape becomes more rural, with terraced fields, eucalyptus groves, rocky ridges and settlements built from local stone. The highland climate is generally milder than that of Eritrea’s hot coastal and western lowland areas, although conditions vary considerably with altitude and season.
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Asmara is the region’s principal cultural and architectural destination. Its Italian colonial legacy is visible in modernist buildings, former cinemas, cafés, churches and civic structures, while its markets and neighbourhood streets reveal the continuing importance of Tigrinya language, Orthodox Christian traditions and coffee culture. The city is best experienced gradually: the central avenues provide an introduction to its architecture, but the character of Asmara also lies in everyday places such as bakeries, coffee houses, produce markets and shaded residential quarters. Photography of official buildings and sensitive sites should be approached cautiously and only where permitted.
Outside Asmara, the highlands offer a quieter journey through agricultural districts and historic communities. Dekemhare, south-east of the capital, has long been associated with farming and rural trade, while Mendefera and surrounding areas provide access to the southern plateau’s cultivated landscapes. Nefasit lies on the dramatic descent towards the eastern escarpment and is associated with routes leading towards Debre Bizen, one of Eritrea’s important monastic sites. In the north-western highland fringe, Keren is lower and warmer than Asmara but remains a significant regional centre, known for its market life, surrounding hills and wartime history.
The region’s cultural landscape is shaped by Tigrinya-speaking communities, Orthodox Christian and Muslim traditions, seasonal agriculture and strong connections between town and countryside. Meals commonly feature injera with stews such as zigni, lentils, vegetables and meat, while coffee ceremonies provide an important social ritual. Visitors should allow time for permissions, local arrangements and slower transport, particularly when travelling beyond Asmara. The highlands reward careful observation: their appeal lies less in a single spectacular attraction than in the relationship between elevated landscapes, historic settlements, architecture and living cultural traditions.

When is the best time to visit Highlands?

Best: April–May, October · 24–28°C
Average daytime high and rainfall by month
MonthHigh (°C)Rainfall (mm)
January1815
February1914
March2112
April (best)2410
May (best)288
June325
July345
August335
September307
October (best)269
November2012
December1714

Getting to and around Highlands

How to get there

Asmara International Airport is the principal air gateway to the Eritrean Highlands and lies within the capital. International flight availability can change substantially, so connections should be confirmed before booking. Overland arrivals are subject to border controls and changing political conditions; Eritrea’s land borders are not routine tourist entry points. Keren and other highland towns are reached by road from Asmara, while travellers using the coast or western lowlands should treat those areas as separate journeys rather than assuming they are close at highland travelling speeds.

Transportation

Asmara has local taxis and minibuses, while intercity travel generally relies on shared vehicles, buses or privately arranged cars. Services can be infrequent, crowded and subject to administrative restrictions, particularly outside the capital. A car with a locally knowledgeable driver is useful for rural districts, but visitors should confirm whether travel permits are required for each destination. Walking is practical within parts of Asmara, although the altitude can make exertion tiring at first. Do not leave established roads or enter rural areas without local advice because of possible unexploded ordnance and landmines.

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Best attractions in Highlands

The Eritrean Highlands offer a varied but relatively low-key collection of attractions. Asmara’s principal draw is its modernist urban fabric, best explored through its avenues, former cinemas, churches, cafés and civic buildings rather than through a single enclosed museum. The city’s markets and coffee houses add a contemporary dimension to its architectural heritage. Beyond the capital, the plateau provides agricultural scenery, stone-built villages and routes through cultivated valleys, while Dekemhare and Mendefera offer perspectives on highland town life and rural trade. Nefasit, on the eastern escarpment, is a starting point for locally arranged visits towards Debre Bizen, although religious access is controlled and should never be assumed. Keren lies on the warmer highland fringe and combines a busy market tradition with surrounding hills and important Second World War history. Walking, landscape photography and cultural observation are more realistic activities than developed adventure tourism, and facilities can be basic. Travellers should arrange permits, guides and transport in advance for destinations outside Asmara.

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Best landmarks in Highlands

Asmara’s modernist cityscape is the region’s most recognisable landmark landscape. The Fiat Tagliero service station, shaped like an aeroplane with dramatic projecting wings, is an especially memorable example of the city’s Italian-era futurist architecture, while Cinema Impero, the Roman Catholic Cathedral and other central buildings show how commercial, religious and civic design developed together during the colonial period. Their significance lies not only in visual style but also in the urban history of a city built through colonial power and Eritrean labour. Beyond Asmara, the eastern escarpment creates a powerful geographical landmark, with Nefasit marking the transition from elevated plateau towards the lower country. Debre Bizen occupies a mountain site above this route and is an important Orthodox monastic centre, although access is subject to religious and practical restrictions. The highland ridges around Keren and the cultivated slopes near Mendefera provide a contrasting natural setting, where settlement, agriculture and exposed rock define the landscape more strongly than monumental architecture.

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Explore Highlands on the map

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Best restaurants in Highlands

Highland dining is centred on injera, the fermented flatbread traditionally served with shared portions of stews, pulses, vegetables and meat. Zigni, a spiced meat stew, is widely associated with Eritrean cooking, while shiro, lentil and bean dishes, sautéed vegetables and salads provide substantial meat-free choices. Meals are commonly accompanied by local bread, tea or coffee, and a traditional coffee ceremony may involve roasting, grinding and serving beans in several rounds. Asmara has the broadest selection of cafés, bakeries and restaurants, including places influenced by the city’s Italian colonial history and more contemporary Eritrean tastes. In smaller highland towns, dining is more likely to centre on modest restaurants, tea rooms and family-run establishments, with menus shaped by seasonal availability. Travellers should expect slower service, shared tables in some settings and limited card payment. Food-producing districts around the plateau contribute grains, pulses, vegetables and livestock to the regional diet.

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Best bars in Highlands

Evening life in the Eritrean Highlands is concentrated in Asmara, where cafés, traditional bars, restaurants and a small number of music-oriented venues provide the main social settings. The city’s Italian-era cafés contribute to its distinctive evening atmosphere, but nightlife is generally restrained rather than built around large clubs or late-night entertainment districts. Local beer and soft drinks are available in established venues, while coffee remains just as important a part of social life as alcohol. In Keren, Dekemhare, Mendefera and smaller towns, evenings usually revolve around cafés, restaurants, family visits and occasional music rather than a formal club scene. Opening arrangements can change and may be affected by local regulations, so visitors should ask accommodation staff or trusted local contacts about current options. Public behaviour should remain discreet, especially near religious sites and residential areas.

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Best nightclubs in Highlands

Evening life in the Eritrean Highlands is concentrated in Asmara, where cafés, traditional bars, restaurants and a small number of music-oriented venues provide the main social settings. The city’s Italian-era cafés contribute to its distinctive evening atmosphere, but nightlife is generally restrained rather than built around large clubs or late-night entertainment districts. Local beer and soft drinks are available in established venues, while coffee remains just as important a part of social life as alcohol. In Keren, Dekemhare, Mendefera and smaller towns, evenings usually revolve around cafés, restaurants, family visits and occasional music rather than a formal club scene. Opening arrangements can change and may be affected by local regulations, so visitors should ask accommodation staff or trusted local contacts about current options. Public behaviour should remain discreet, especially near religious sites and residential areas.

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Best shops in Highlands

Shopping in the Eritrean Highlands is primarily local and practical, with Asmara offering the widest range of markets, food shops, bookshops, small boutiques and independent traders. Visitors can look for woven textiles, locally made clothing, leather goods, baskets, jewellery and small craft items, although quality and provenance vary and bargaining should remain courteous. Produce markets provide a more direct connection with highland agriculture through grains, pulses, vegetables, spices and coffee. Keren has a significant market tradition and offers a different atmosphere from the capital, with regional trade linking the highlands to the western escarpment and lowlands. In smaller towns, shopping is focused on daily necessities rather than souvenirs. Eritrean coffee, spices and packaged foods can be useful purchases, subject to customs rules and availability. Ask before photographing stalls or people, and do not buy antiquities, manuscripts, religious objects or archaeological material without clear legal provenance and permission.

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Highlands essentials

Currency and Payment
The currency is the Eritrean nakfa, coded ERN. Cash is the normal means of payment, and visitors should obtain sufficient local currency through lawful, authorised channels before travelling outside Asmara. International cards and electronic payment facilities are limited, while foreign exchange rules are tightly regulated. Keep smaller notes for taxis, cafés and local purchases, but follow current official regulations regarding currency exchange and do not rely on informal money-changing arrangements.
Safety
Visitors should monitor current government travel advice and arrange journeys through reputable local contacts because access, permits and security conditions can change. In the highlands, the main practical concerns include road conditions, limited medical facilities, altitude, poor lighting after dark and the risk of unexploded ordnance away from established routes. Avoid photographing military, police, government or infrastructure sites. Keep valuables discreet, use trusted transport and ask locally before travelling near restricted or politically sensitive areas.
Emergency Situations
Emergency arrangements in Eritrea are less consistently publicised and less reliable than in many international destinations. Before travelling beyond Asmara, record the contact details of accommodation, driver, local guide, tour organiser and the relevant embassy or consulate. Ask locally for the current police, ambulance and fire procedures rather than assuming that a single national emergency number will connect reliably. Carry essential medication, travel insurance details and a paper copy of important documents, since communications and medical evacuation options may be limited.
Do's and Don'ts
Dress modestly, particularly at churches, monasteries and Muslim places of worship, and follow local instructions about footwear, head coverings and photography. Ask permission before photographing people and never assume that a public-looking building may be photographed. Queue patiently, pay agreed fares where possible and show respect during religious observances. Do not enter restricted areas, discuss sensitive political matters casually with strangers, exchange currency unofficially or remove stones, manuscripts or other material from historic and religious sites.
Local Tips
Asmara’s altitude makes its evenings cool even when the wider region is warm, so a light jacket is useful throughout the year. Early planning is particularly important for excursions to monasteries, rural settlements and the eastern escarpment, where permissions and local introductions may be necessary. Allow time for coffee ceremonies and market visits rather than treating the capital solely as an architectural sightseeing stop. For rural travel, carry water, snacks and a charged phone, since services between settlements can be sparse.
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From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
HelloSelam[seh-lahm]
GoodbyeDehan ner[deh-hahn nehr]
YesIwo[ee-woh]
NoAyu[ah-yoo]
Please/You're welcomeBzih[bzee]
Thank youYekenyeley[yeh-ken-yeh-lee]
Excuse me/SorryIshkha[eesh-khah]
How are you?Kemey alek?[keh-mey ah-lek]
Fine. And you?Bzih. Kemey alek?[bzee. keh-mey ah-lek]
Do you speak English?Engelizi tikhon?[en-ge-liz-ee tee-khon]
I don't understandAyu fiyel[ah-yoo fee-yel]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseMenyu zeyfeli, bzih[men-yoo zay-feh-lee, bzee]
I don't eat meatAyu tsegur zeyfeli[ah-yoo tseh-goor zay-feh-lee]
Cheers!Gibro![gee-broh]
I would like to pay, pleaseZeyfeli teru, bzih[zay-feh-lee teh-roo, bzee]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!Yemay![yeh-my]
Go away!Gibra![gee-brah]
Call the Police!Polis zeyfeli![po-lees zay-feh-lee]
Call a doctor!Doktor zeyfeli![dok-tor zay-feh-lee]
I'm lostAyu t'k'ele[ah-yoo t'keh-leh]
I'm illAyu q'lah[ah-yoo q-lah]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...Zeyfeli k’bri...[zay-feh-lee kuh-bree]
I'm just lookingAyu k’bri zeyfeli[ah-yoo kuh-bree zay-feh-lee]
How much is it?Kemey m'k'ele?[keh-mey m'keh-leh]
That's too expensiveNeh zeyt'k'li[neh zay-t'klee]
Can you lower the price?Yemey m'k'ele zeyt'kel?[yeh-meh m'keh-leh zay-t'kel]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?Kemey zeyk'ele?[keh-mey zay-keh-leh]
It's one o'clockZeyk'ele n'kol[zay-keh-leh n'kol]
Half past (10)K’half (10)[k'hal-f (10)]
MorningBeka[beh-kah]
AfternoonN'k'k'ek[n'keh-keh]
EveningGerm'ed[ger-mehd]
YesterdayHagere[ha-ge-reh]
TodayZeyt'k'ele[zay-t'keh-le]
TomorrowB'k'ele[b'keh-leh]
1Hidri[hid-ree]
2K’bri[k'bee-ree]
3Selasi[seh-lah-see]
4Arba[ahr-bah]
5Hamsh[ham-sh]
6Seyfu[seh-y-foo]
7Seb’ta[seh-b'tah]
8Semanya[seh-mahn-yah]
9T'sh'a[t'sh-ah]
10Asir[ah-seer]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?K'eyfey...?[k'ey-feh]
What's the address?Kemey address?[keh-mey a-dres]
Can you show me (on the map)?Map'ka k'eyfey zeyfeli?[map-kah k'ey-feh zay-feh-lee]
When's the next (bus)?K'eyfey zeyt'k'ele (bus)?[k'ey-feh zay-t'keh-leh (bus)]
A ticket (to ....)Tiket (to ....)[tee-ket (to ....)]

History of Highlands

Early Highland Settlement and Pre-Aksumite Contacts

The Eritrean plateau has been occupied and farmed for many centuries, supported by seasonal rainfall, fertile pockets and access to routes crossing the northern Horn of Africa. Archaeological evidence from the wider highland zone records complex communities before the rise of Aksum, while inscriptions and material remains point to contacts across the Red Sea and with southern Arabia. These early connections should not be reduced to a simple colonial-style influence: local societies developed their own political and agricultural traditions while participating in wider networks of exchange.

Aksumite and Christian Legacies

From late antiquity, the highlands became part of the cultural world associated with the Aksumite kingdom, whose centre lay across the modern Eritrea-Ethiopia border. Christianity gained a lasting foothold in the region from the fourth century, and the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo tradition remains central to many highland communities. Monasteries, churches, manuscript traditions and sacred landscapes preserve elements of this long history, although access to religious sites can be restricted and should always be arranged respectfully.

Medieval Highland Polities and Religious Institutions

After the decline of Aksum, authority in the northern Horn of Africa was divided among regional rulers, local communities and later Christian kingdoms. Highland monasteries and churches served not only as places of worship but also as centres of learning, manuscript preservation and landholding. The rugged terrain encouraged political fragmentation and helped preserve distinctive local identities. Debre Bizen, associated with the eastern escarpment above Nefasit, is among the best-known religious foundations connected with the highland landscape.

Ottoman and Egyptian Red Sea Expansion

Although the Ottoman and Egyptian authorities focused primarily on the Red Sea coast and lowlands, their expansion affected the political environment around the Eritrean plateau. Coastal ports and routes towards the interior linked highland communities to wider struggles involving regional rulers, Ottoman power and Egypt. Control was uneven, and much of the highlands continued to be governed through local authorities and established social institutions rather than direct administration from the coast.

Italian Colonial Rule and the Making of Asmara

Italy established colonial control over Eritrea in the late nineteenth century and developed Asmara as the administrative capital. Roads, railways, agricultural schemes and military infrastructure reshaped the highlands, often through coercive labour systems and unequal colonial policies. Asmara’s famous modernist buildings, including cinemas, offices, churches and commercial structures, date largely from the 1930s and early 1940s. Their architectural importance is inseparable from the colonial history and the Eritrean communities who built, staffed and inhabited the city.

British Administration and Federation with Ethiopia

British forces took control of Eritrea from Italy during the Second World War, beginning a period of British military administration. In 1952, Eritrea entered a United Nations-backed federation with Ethiopia, but the arrangement was progressively weakened before annexation by Ethiopia in 1962. The highlands, including Asmara, became central to the political and military conflicts that followed. These decades contributed to major displacement, social disruption and the growth of Eritrean nationalist movements.

War, Independence and Contemporary Asmara

The Eritrean War of Independence lasted from 1961 until the fall of the Ethiopian government in 1991, followed by internationally recognised independence in 1993. Asmara remained the political and cultural centre of the new state. The city’s twentieth-century architectural ensemble was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017, recognising its importance as an unusually coherent example of modernist urban planning and architecture in Africa. Contemporary highland life combines this built legacy with continuing agricultural, religious and family traditions.

Highlands in Photos

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The Evendo app on two phones

Evendo - Your Ultimate Travel Guide to Highlands, Eritrea

Discover the best of Highlands with Evendo – the 100% free app-based travel guide covering attractions, landmarks, shops, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, tours, and more.

  • Detailed information on attractions, landmarks, shops, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, tours, experiences, and activities
  • Rich set of information including images, descriptions, local tips, maps, and contact details
  • Easy booking for hotels, tours, tickets, and experiences
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More about the Evendo app

Explore Highlands, Eritrea like never before with Evendo, your free, all-in-one travel guide. Discover attractions, book experiences, and enjoy curated local tips.

  • History of Highlands and travel essentials
  • User-friendly navigation and 'Near Me' feature
  • Curated local tips for an authentic experience
  • 100% free with no in-app purchases

Planning a trip to the beautiful Highlands of Eritrea? Look no further than Evendo, your ultimate travel companion. This app transforms your travel experience by providing detailed information on all the best attractions, landmarks, shops, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, tours, experiences, and activities in Highlands.

Imagine exploring the historic **Debre Bizen Monastery**, marveling at the architectural beauty of the **Enda Mariam Orthodox Cathedral**, or enjoying a relaxing evening at **Bar Asmara**. With Evendo, all these experiences are just a tap away. The app not only offers descriptions and images but also provides local tips, maps, and contact details, making it easy to plan and organize your trip.

Hungry for local cuisine? Evendo has you covered with recommendations for top restaurants like **Alba Bistro** and **Blue Bird Cafe**. Each listing comes with reviews and insider tips to ensure you have an unforgettable dining experience.

But that's not all – Evendo also allows you to book hotels, tours, tickets, and experiences directly through the app. No more juggling multiple websites or apps; everything you need is in one place. Whether you're hiking through the scenic **Filfil Solomuna**, exploring the quaint **Keren Market**, or taking a guided tour of **Qohaito**, Evendo makes it seamless.

What sets Evendo apart is its user-friendly features. The app includes the history of Highlands, travel essentials, and tons of good, local advice to help you get the most out of your visit. The 'Near Me' feature ensures you can easily see what's around you, no matter where you are. Plus, curated local tips let you experience Highlands like a local.

And the best part? Evendo is 100% free. There are no in-app purchases or hidden costs. Plus, Evendo covers over 7,000 other destinations worldwide, making it your go-to travel guide no matter where your adventures take you.

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