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Why visit Lalibela?

Lalibela is a small town high in the mountains of northern Ethiopia, and one of the most important holy places of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It is famous for its eleven medieval churches carved directly out of the red volcanic rock, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tradition links them to King Lalibela, who gave the town its name. The churches are not ruins: priests still hold services in them, and pilgrims in white shawls come to pray every day.

The best known is Bete Giyorgis, the Church of St George, cut down into the ground in the shape of a cross; you look down on its roof before walking into the deep trench around it. The northern group of churches includes the huge Bete Medhane Alem, and dark tunnels and passages link several churches together. Outside town you can hike or ride a mule up to the mountain monastery of Asheten Maryam for wide views, or visit Yemrehanna Kristos, an older church built inside a cave. Lalibela has a small airport with domestic flights from Addis Ababa. The best time to visit is October to February, the dry season, and the Ethiopian Christmas, Genna, on 7 January brings huge crowds of pilgrims. Before you travel, check your government's current travel advice for the region.

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