High in the Lasta mountains of Ethiopia is where you’ll find Africa’s New Jerusalem. It’s one of the most captivating places on the continent

The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia in the northern highlands of the country must be one of Africa’s finest sights. Steeped in mystery and history, Lalibela and its churches are something that you must see when you go to Ethiopia. Lalibela is not just another Unesco Heritage site that turned into a museum.

This small town up in the Lasta mountains is one of the country’s holiest places and the center of pilgrimage of the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. These ancient churches are alive and to visit Lalibela, Ethiopia is to travel back to the times of Genesis.

The churches of Lalibela are not like the Angkor Wats or Machu Pichus of the world. You don’t get a glimpse of what they once were. These churches are alive. They breathe, and you get to see them for what they are TODAY.

Lalibela, Ethiopia: A Guide to Visiting Africa’s New Jerusalem