Alexandria, Egypt
Palace in Alexandria, Egypt
At the far eastern end of Alexandria, on a low plateau above a small Mediterranean bay, the Montaza gardens spread over some 150 hectares around two royal palaces. The first, the Salamlek, was built by Khedive Abbas II in 1892 as a hunting and summer lodge; the larger Haramlek was added by King Fuad I as the royal family's summer palace, designed by the Italian architect Verrucci with the Egyptian engineer Hassan Pasha el-Adawi. The Haramlek mixes Ottoman and Florentine styles, with a tall Italian Renaissance tower and long open arcades facing the sea on every floor, and is one of the finest modern buildings in the city. The Salamlek is now a hotel. The palaces themselves are usually closed to visitors, but the gardens are open to the public: paths under palms and pines, a tea kiosk by the water, a little bridge out to an islet in the bay, and beaches with their own tickets. It is Alexandrians' favourite weekend park.
Pay the small garden entry fee and wander; mornings and late afternoons are loveliest. Allow two to three hours. Fridays and holidays are busy with families, weekdays calmer. It is about half an hour by car from the centre along the corniche, depending on traffic.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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