From Kouba vià Vieux-Kouba to Birmandreis, see p. [231].
e. El-Biar and Bouzaréah.
Tramway (No. 6, p. [219]) to El-Biar and Château-Neuf. From Château-Neuf diligence several times daily to Chéraga and six times daily to Bouzaréah (notices are posted in the Place du Gouvernement, at the corner of Rue Bab-Azoun).
A favourite circular trip for one day (motor-cars and carriages, see p. [218]) embraces El-Biar, Château-Neuf, Chéraga, Staouéli-Trappe, Sidi-Ferruch (p. [237]), Guyotville (p. [237]), Pointe-Pescade (p. [237]), St. Eugène (p. [236]), and Algiers. A popular drive for half-a-day includes Bouzaréah, Forêt de Baïnem, Bains Romains (p. [237]), Pointe Pescade, and Algiers.
(1). The road to El-Biar leads from the old town through the Kasba and the Porte du Sahel (Pl. B, 3; comp. p. [228]). Walkers may note two possible digressions. To the left, just outside the gate, a path descends in 10 min. to Boul. Laferrière (p. [226]). To the right, 2 min. farther, diverges the Chemin de Fontaine-Fraîche (Pl. A, 3, 4), the road to (10 min.) the charmingly situated village of Birtraria, whence one may either ascend to the S.W. in 20 min. to El-Biar (see below), or walk to the N.E. through the pretty Frais-Vallon and then descend the Avenue du Frais-Vallon (Pl. A, B, 2, 1), on the right bank of the Oued M’Kacel, to (½ hr.) the Quartier Bab el-Oued (see below).
The highroad passes near the foot of the Fort l’Empereur (Pl. A, 4; 689 ft.), almost hidden by trees. This was the site of the camp of Charles V. (p. [221]), and on it was built the Mulaï Hassan Fort (1545), which was partly blown up by its Turkish defenders when bombarded by the French in 1830. The road then winds up to the tramway station of St. Raphaël (788 ft.), whence a charming road branches off to (1¼ M.) Mustapha-Supérieur (to the left, and after 3 min. to the left again, joining the Chemin du Télemly close to the Hôt. Continental).
The large village of El-Biar (784 ft.), 2 M. to the S.W. of the Porte du Sahel, and the village of Château-Neuf (*Hôt.-Restaur. Mallard, pens. from 6 fr.; a favourite Sunday afternoon resort), lying on the monotonous plateau ½ M. beyond El-Biar, uninteresting in themselves, are the starting-points of the roads to the Colonne Voirol and to Bouzaréah (p. [235]).
A road leads from Château-Neuf to (5½ M. from the Porte du Sahel) Chéraga (650 ft.; Hôt. des Voyageurs, humble), a pleasant village among fruit-trees, and (3 M.) Staouéli-Trappe (p. [237]), situated on a shelf-like terrace above the coast, where the French first encountered the troops of the dey in 1830. The old Trappist monastery founded here in 1843 was purchased in 1904 by the Swiss Consul Borgeaud, who has converted the abbey-lands of about 3000 acres into a model farm (no admittance). The burial-ground contains the tomb of Col. Marengo (1787–1862).
From Staouéli-Trappe a road descends to the N.W. to (1 M.) Staouéli (p. [237]). The highroad joins the Castiglione road at (11 M.) Sidi-Ferruch (p. [237]), a station on the steam-tramway.
(2). To Bouzaréah a new road (2½ M.) leads to the N.W. from El-Biar (see above), through the pretty valley of the Oued bel-Elzar, one of the feeders of the Oued M’Kacel (see above), while the old road (2 M.) leads to it from Château-Neuf (see above), crossing an uninteresting plateau and, about ½ M. short of Bouzaréah, passing the Ecole Normale Primaire.