Dekemhare

Dekemhare was developed in the 1930s as an industrial town, and it keeps a stretch of Italian-era architecture that has survived because little was built over it since: factories, warehouses, a market building, arcaded shopfronts and villas along the main street. Much of it is disused. It sits in fertile highland country and the vineyards planted here in the colonial period still produce. The town was second only to Asmara in industrial output during the colonial period, and the scale of what was built here reflects that.

What you actually see

• The industrial buildings - factories and warehouses from the 1930s programme.
• The arcaded street - the shopfronts along the main road.
• The market building - the covered structure at the centre.
• The vineyards - the plantings from the colonial period still in production.

When to go

Year round; the highland climate is mild. The main rains fall June to September. Market days bring the town to life.

Honest expectations

Much of the historic fabric is disused and deteriorating. A travel permit is required for movement outside Asmara. Photography restrictions are enforced and industrial sites should not be photographed.

Nearby

Asmara is north, and Senafe is south.