Those who treat Tunis as merely a gateway to Tunisia's resorts are making a mistake. As well as the labyrinthine ancient Medina, the city's outwardly functional Nouvelle Ville is not unlike Barcelona's Las Ramblas, with its charming, broad pavement shaded by trees. Tunis also boasts many cultural gems, notably the Bardo Museum, which has one of the finest collections of Roman mosaics in the world and the UNESCO World-Heritage protected Medina. Perhaps the most essential cultural visit is to Carthage and its magnificent Roman ruins.
Always consult the Foreign Office before travelling.
Where to stay in Tunis
THE RESIDENCE TUNIS
Les Cotes de Carthage, La Marsa (00 216 71 910 101; fax: 910 144; www.theresidence-tunis.com). La Residence Tunis is half-an-hour's taxi ride away from Tunis. The combination of informality, professionalism and discretion is spot on here. The building itself is no beauty, but the bedrooms are large and well-decorated, with balconies overlooking an enormous pool, garden and the distant beach. It is worth making it down for the breakfast buffet at least once; the choice of food is enormous but the unique selling point is the freshly made Tunisian flatbreads. ££
HOTEL CARLTON
31 avenue Habib Bourguiba, Tunis (00 216 71 330 644; fax: 338 168). The choice in the centre of Tunis is not extensive, but this small, modern, three-star hotel on
the main boulevard is a relaxed and functional base from which to explore the Medina. £
HOTEL LA MAISON DOREE
6 bis rue de Hollande, Tunis (00 216 71 240 632; fax: 240 631). More character, a retro-colonial style and the efficient management of a French family is offered at this hotel. The rooms are clean but basic. The ground-floor restaurant is popular with French civil servants at lunchtime. £
HOTEL ABOU NAWAS
Avenue Taïeb Méhiri, La Marsa (00 216 71 741 444; fax: 740400; email: gammarth@abounawas.com.tn). Technically in Gammarth, the hotel is actually located near the western end of the beach at La Marsa. As one of a chain, it suffers from somewhat garish interior design but has rooms that give onto the sea and five-star service. £
HOTEL MEGARA
Avenue Taïeb Méhiri, La Marsa (00 216 71 740 366; fax: 740 916). Next to the Abou Nawas, this is a scruffier but much more picturesque building, with original tiling inside and the same sea-view and access to the beach. The three Tunisian-star rating includes a swimming pool and acceptable, rather than inspiring, food. £
HOTEL DAR SAID
Rue Toumi, Sidi Bou Saïd (00 216 71 729 666; fax: 729 599; www.darsaid.com.tn; email: darsaid@gnet.tn). This Tunisian owned former family mansion re-opened in 2001, having been under renovation since 1998, as an intimate four-star, 24-room hotel. It is a delightful alternative to The Residence Tunis, for those who prefer small hotels. At the centre of Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia's most beautiful village, the hotel has spectacular views
across the Gulf of Tunis to the twin-headed mountain, Jebel Bou Kornine. The rooms surround a series of tiled courtyards and are simply but comfortably furnished. The best rooms are numbers 3, 4, 5 and 6, the last of which is a suite. Each has a traditional ironwork screen offering a sea view through cypress trees. (Room 4's bathroom opens onto a courtyard). There is a small swimming pool and a snack bar but no restaurant. There are however, good places to eat in the village. See Where to Eat. ££
HOTEL SIDI BOUFARES
15 rue Sidi Boufarès, Sidi Bou Saïd (00 216 71 740 091; fax: 728 868; email: hotel.boufares@gnet.tn). Very basic but clean and charming, with a handful of rooms arranged around a garden patio in the heart of the town. £
Where to eat out in Tunis
DAR EL JELD
5 rue Dar El Jeld, La Kasbah, Tunis (00 216 71 567130; fax: 567845). This is undoubtedly the top venue in Tunis, located on the western edge of the Medina near several government ministries. The main dining room is in the central patio of a sumptuously tiled and decorated 18th-century palace, and meals are accompanied by discreet traditional music. This is one of the few places to serve authentic, high-class Tunisian cuisine such as couscous aux poissons, a Tunisian invention and is well worth a visit. Closed on Sunday; booking is advisable.
CHEZ SLAH
14 rue Pierre de Coubertin, Tunis (00 216 71 258588). Thought by many to be the best of the French-style restaurants that dominate the centre of Tunis; Chez Slah is especially good for fish. Closed on Monday.
CAFE M'RABET
Souk el Trouk, Tunis. This Ottoman-style café in the heart of the Medina is also a venue for live performances of traditional Berber music. In high season it is a popular tourist spot, but is frequented by locals as well.
LA SPIGOLA
52 avenue F Roosevelt, La Goulette (00 216 71 738345). One of several fish restaurants on the main avenue in La Goulette, set back from the sea. You select the fish you want from a platter brought to your table. Sea bass and dorado are often the best on offer and are usually served grilled with a trace of cumin. A speciality is prawns à la gargoulette, cooked with tomato and vegetables in a small pot. Closed on Wednesday lunch.
CAFE DES NATTES
Situated at the top of the hill overlooking Sidi Bou Saïd. To the right of this and Café Sidi Chabaane are terraces offering some of the best views of the village.
AU BON VIEUX TEMPS
56 rue Hedi Zarrouk, Sidi Bou Said (00 216 71 744733).
LE CHERGUI
39 avenue Habib Thameur, Sidi Bou Said (00 216 71 740987). No alcohol served.
What to see in Tunis
IN THE CITY
ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE IN THE MEDINA
A useful map can be picked up free from the Tunis Tourist Office, avenue 1 Mohammed V (00 216 71 341077), just off avenue Habib Bourguiba, which includes a walk designed by the Association de Sauvegarde de la Medina (the conservation body) that takes in the most important sites. The Association’s office itself, Dar Lasram, 24 rue du Tribunal, is worth a visit, as it is slightly off the beaten track. The Dar Ben Abdallah museum, Impasse Ben Abdallah, closed Monday, houses traditional arts and costumes, and contains a detailed model of the Medina, including all the hammams.
THE ZITOUNA MOSQUE
The Zitouna mosque, which dates from 732AD, stands at the centre of the Medina and was rebuilt in the ninth century, incorporating 200 Roman pillars salvaged mainly from the nearby ruins of Carthage. Built by an Andalucian architect for Ottoman rulers in the 17th century, it is one of the many examples of Islamic architecture that led UNESCO to add the Medina to its World Heritage list in 1979.
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OUTSIDE THE CITY
BARDO MUSEUM
Rue Mongi Slim, Bardo (00 216 71 513650; fax: 514050). Open Tues to Sun, 9.30am to 4.30pm. Situated 4km inland from the city centre, this has one of the finest collections of Roman mosaics in the world. Housed in a Husseinite palace, many of the exhibits are not just interesting from an archaeological point of view, but compelling and beautiful as well.
CARTHAGE
The TGM stop (see <a href=”http://www.cntraveller.co.uk/Guides/Tunisia/Tunis/Default.aspx?Page=6”>Travel Tips</a>) at Carthage-Hannibal is next to Byrsa Hill, the high point of the
former Punic settlement, where the National Museum of Carthage is now housed inside a deconsecrated cathedral. The Roman theatre, Punic Ports, Antonine Baths and what remains of the Sanctuary of Tophet are included in a multi-trip ticket (there is a small supplement for taking photographs at these sites). Open from 8.30am to 5.30pm daily.
LA MARSA AND SIDI BOUS SAID
If you take the TGM north, you finally arrive at the most exclusive and tranquil districts of La Marsa and Sidi Bou Saïd, both of which are worth a visit. La Marsa, the last stop on the TGM, is a town built around a moon-shaped beach. Once a resort for the Husseinite Beys in the 18th century, it is now where ambassadors live and Tunisians come to swim from early spring to late autumn.
Sidi Bou Saïd, which overlooks the Gulf of Tunis, is a beautifully preserved cobbled town, named after a 13th-century Sufi saint and has long been a favourite retreat for European artists and intellectuals. Paul Klee came to paint in 1914 here and praised the clarity of the light. In season, coach-loads of tourists are dropped off here but for most of the time the town is a quiet, upmarket, residential district. Slightly down the hill from the Café Sidi Chabaane, is a spectacular view of the whole of the Gulf of Tunis which lies below and the twin-peaked mountains the Phoenicians used to navigate by.
Things to do in Tunis
HAMMAMS
Turkish baths are usually open for men in the morning and for women in the afternoon.
One of the best-known men-only hammams is Kachachine, 30 Souk des Libraires (which you enter through a barber shop). Female visitors can try the hammam in Halfaouine, place Halfaouine. The important thing is to find one that has not been modernised, which destroys the charm these institutions exude.
A cotton towel or fouta, is provided for men to wear inside the hammam, but it is still a good idea to bring an extra towel (essential for women).
The entry cost is generally less than £1, plus a tip to the masseur. A rub down with a kassa is not for the overly sensitive.
How to get to Tunis
AIRPORT
Tunis has its own airport, served by direct flights from London.
AIRLINES FROM THE UK
Tunis Air (020 7734 7644) flies four times a week from Heathrow to Tunis. British Airways (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com) flies four times a week from Gatwick to Tunis.