Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BAHIR DAR & LAKE TANA
This relaxing town and the scenic lake on which it sits form the first major stop on the His-
torical Circuit. It's a great place to spend a few days. Besides some minor sights around
town, you're on the doorstep of the lake's mystical monasteries.
Bahir Dar
POP 170,300 / ELEV 1880M
Some people like to describe Bahir Dar as the Ethiopian Riviera. The moniker sounds
strange, but when you pull into town and see the wide streets shaded by palm trees and
sweeping views across Lake Tana's shimmering blue waters, you'll understand.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, various temporary Ethiopian capitals were established in
the vicinity of Lake Tana. It was here that Jesuits attempted, with disastrous consequences,
to impose Catholicism on the Ethiopian people. One moss-covered Jesuit building, which
was built by the well-known Spanish missionary Pedro Páez, can still be seen today in the
compound of St George's monastery.
Sights
For those Lake Tana monasteries you may have heard about,
Click here
.
Information on
Blue Nile Falls is found on
Click here
.
