The Casbah is hundreds of years old. Its lanes are so narrow and steep that no cars can drive through them - just people on foot and the occasional donkey carrying boxes. From the very top of the hill you can see the whole sweep of the Bay of Algiers, with ships and fishing boats moving across the blue.
Most of the houses are painted bright white, with shutters and doors in blue, green or yellow. The white paint reflects the strong sun and keeps the rooms cool inside. Many homes have a flat roof where families dry laundry, hang plants, or sit out in the evenings to catch the sea breeze.
Look closely and you'll see beautiful old details everywhere - studded wooden doors, carved stone arches, painted ceramic tiles in star patterns. Some houses have an inner courtyard with a fountain in the middle and orange trees growing around it. The Casbah is on UNESCO's list of world heritage places.
Algerians have a saying: 'In the Casbah, the houses lean on each other.' The narrow lanes and shared walls mean neighbours know each other well. Children play in tiny squares, women call to each other from windows above, and the smell of cooking spills out into the street at dinnertime.