Abha - The highest city in Saudi Arabia sitting on the edge of a cliff

 


Abha, in my opinion but I'm not alone, is the most stunning city in Saudi Arabia. It sits right on the edge of the high plateau at around 2200 metres above sea level, so the climate is quite moderate and even cold in winter. The city's location also means often clouds or fog cover everything or it rains, or snows in the winter. Abha is quite small and more or less walkable as long as you stay within the ring road. 


The cheapest and best value place I stayed at was in Abha. This apartment, although not the most modern, was a bargain at SAR 70 (GBP 15) per night, cheaper than the dorm in Riyadh. In the high season months of summer, I saw later on the booking site, prices are much higher. 







Atop the hill in the Shamasan (or Shamsan) area is a castle and at its foot are busy neighbourhoods with a large number of immigrants which means cheap and great food. Even if the castle is closed, you get nice views of Abha and its surroundings. 






























The area around the Emirate of Aseer Province Palace is off-limits in a large part, but next to a traditional house a museum will open soon.














The Thulathaa Traditional Market is also called Tuesday market although it is open every day. 








A fairly long walk to Abha's Dam Lake which, as it turned out, is closed to the public.










High City is an entertainment-, restaurant- and accommodation-complex right on the edge of the plateau, but nearby Al-Dabab and its skywalk offers just as stunning, perhaps even better, views. 

































The Green Hill is supposed to be a tourist attraction but the area is closed indefinitely. Even if you can't climb to its top, you get some nice views of Abha from its slopes. 







Al-Balad, as the case usually is, is the centre of the city. Abha's Al-Balad is not the richest location with its many immigrants, so you find some of the best restaurants here. There are many historic mud-and-stone houses, most still occupied. A cluster of these traditional buildings is being renovated, probably it will be open to the public as a museum. 






















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