Fort and chapel of Santa Cruz: A view, a story
Want to dominate the whole city of Oran and the Mediterranean? You will enjoy this delight thanks to the Santa Cruz fort.
The centerpiece of Oran Bay is Fort de Santa Cruz.
If you are visiting Oran, it is impossible for you to miss this stone mastodon, perched on the Aïdour massif
Built between 1577 and 1604 on a height of 400 meters above the Mediterranean Sea, the fortress represented a strategic military point for the Spanish and French soldiers thereafter.
The fort has undergone several reconstructions following military and natural destruction, and was listed in 1950 as one of the natural sites that bear witness to the Algerian-Franco-Spanish history.
Santa Cruz, Protectress of the City Chapel
Below the building is the Santa Cruz chapel, exhibiting a large statue of the Virgin Mary, protector of the city of Oran.
The latter was erected following the Cholera epidemic which struck the city in 1849, and by this fact, immediately after the prayers of the faithful, a curtain of rain fell on the city, cleaning it from the epidemic.
The chapel was classified as a national monument on December 17, 2003, you can start your visit of the city of Oran, with the unmissable Fort and Chapel of Santa Cruz, you will certainly spot all your next visits from afar.
To get there, very easy to find taxis if you don’t have a vehicle to go up the hill, you will certainly not be disappointed with the panoramic view of the city; As for prices, entry to the chapel is free, and at a symbolic price for the fort.
