Algiers for The Romantics: a Friday-to-Monday weekend

The apse asks Our Lady to pray for Christians and Muslims alike. Stand at the terrace rail as the bay turns pink and the ferries slide into the port.

The 1853 opera house of French Algiers, now the national theatre, all gilt and red velvet. Check the evening programme; a chamber concert here beats any bar.

Dinner among the palms and orange trees of the old Saint-George, where Eisenhower once stayed. Ask for a table on the terrace and linger over mint tea.

Columns, a basilica and a Roman street running straight into the Mediterranean through wild fennel. Camus walked here; the paths are quiet before the coach parties.

A grilled sea bream on the terrace above the ruins, with the Chenoua mountain across the bay. Order the fish by weight and ask the price first.

The vast round tomb of Juba II and Cleopatra Selene stands alone on a hilltop, visible for miles. Go late when the stone turns gold and the pines whisper.

Dragon trees, bamboo and avenues of giant ficus laid out in 1832. Walk the long central alley slowly and sit by the pond before the Sunday families arrive.

An Ottoman palace of tiles and carved cedar, filled with wedding jackets and silver jewellery. The courtyard fountain is the quiet corner you came for.

A dinner overlooking the garden floodlights, one of the few places in town where a glass of wine arrives without fuss. Book a table on the side facing the trees.

The 1913 neo-Moorish post office, white arches and a tiled hall. Buy a stamp and send a card from the counter, then cross to the stepped gardens opposite.

Algeria's largest art museum, hillside above the garden. The Orientalist rooms and the Algerian modernists hang almost empty, so you can stand close to each canvas.

A farewell lunch at a long-running student brasserie: grilled merguez, fries, a strong coffee. Sit by the window and watch Place Audin go by.