Places of interest

Sights in Tunisia

Tunisia alone has eight UNESCO World Heritage sites. These include the famous ruins of Carthage at the gates of the capital and the historic old towns of Tunis, Sousse and Kairouan.

In addition, the country’s natural beauty, especially its beaches and deserts, are worth seeing.

Top 5 – the most important sights

Hannibal sends his regards

Just outside the gates of the capital Tunis, imposing ruins bear witness to the former world power of Carthage. The site from which Hannibal set off with his elephants on his great campaign against the Romans in the 3rd century BC is now an excavation site with a national museum and an unparalleled tourist magnet. Particularly impressive are the remains of a huge thermal bath and a gigantic amphitheatre for once 50,000 spectators.

Haggle at any price

The old cities of Tunis, Sousse and Kairouan are listed as World Heritage Sites. Tunis’s maze of alleyways, which seem like a labyrinth to tourists, covers 87 hectares alone. The Arab medinas, as the old towns are called, are typical examples of towns founded according to the rules of Islam with mosques, shops and public baths (hammam). Bargaining and haggling is expressly encouraged in the lively bazaars.

World heritage and dream beach at the same time

Located directly on the Mediterranean Sea, on the Gulf of Hammamet, Sousse is Tunisia’s third largest city. The medina is surrounded by a city wall, which shields the historic residential quarters, coffee houses and market alleys from the modern tourist hotels.

Just by the harbour wall begin the magnificent sandy beaches with their promenades that stretch for miles.

Where the muezzins call loudest

Nearly two hours’ drive from the Mediterranean, inland, lies the small town of Kairouan. There, the medina with its winding market alleys is still at its most pristine.

In the winding alleys, you can hear the calls of the muezzins from the city’s more than 100 minarets several times a day.

From the desert

Whether by camel, on foot or in a car, the deserts of southern Tunisia are definitely worth a trip.

Some tour operators offer guided jeep tours from the oasis town of Tozeur to the filming locations of Star Wars, now an abandoned desert village in Tunisia’s endless sea of sand.

The special tip:

Feasting at Cape Bon

The green peninsula of Cape Bon in the far north of Africa juts into the Mediterranean at its tip less than 150 kilometres from Sicily. The lifestyle there is correspondingly Mediterranean.

Orange groves, lemon plantations and vineyards characterise the landscape. Freshly caught fish is prepared in the traditional way in the coastal town of Kelibia. A glass of white wine from the local Muscadet goes well with it.