Tunis travel guide

Tunis is a vibrant yet laid-back capital city, equally happy looking to Mediterranean traditions as its Arab and African roots. It's an attitude reflected in its architecture, with the old Arab medina sat next to the French colonial Ville Nouvelle (New Town).

The medina is Tunis’s historic and spiritual heart. A winding maze of alleys and souks, all paths seem to lead to the 8th-century Zeytouna Mosque, built in AD732. The contrast with the palm trees and café terraces of the ville nouvelle's avenue Habib Bourguiba could not be greater. Old men in traditional dress watch suited office workers and the young go past in jeans and shirts: this is Tunis.

In the suburbs are the impressive ruins of the ancient city of Carthage, from where Hannibal set forth to drive his elephants over the Alps. Also nearby is Tunisia's most beautiful village, Sidi Bou Said, inspiration to many artists, and the gorgeous white-sand beaches of La Marsa.