Louages shared taxis are equipped with roof racks and can carry bikes. The downside of riding a bike in Tunisia is that you share the road with motorists. Bicycle lanes are almost non-existent, and most roads are two-lane stretches of tarmac with no hard shoulder.
Traffic on coastal routes and the roads in and out of Tunis can be very heavy, though elsewhere roads are generally quite empty. The rest of the year, conditions are ideal.
The Tunisian tourist board has produced a good PDF guide to routes in northern Tunisia, including daily distances and elevations, which can be downloaded at www.
Note that there is no formal infrastructure in place to support cyclists. R-Bike in Tunis can provide support with parts and advice. Louages shared taxis are equipped with roof racks and can carry bikes. The downside of riding a bike in Tunisia is that you share the road with motorists.
Bicycle lanes are almost non-existent, and most roads are two-lane stretches of tarmac with no hard shoulder. Traffic on coastal routes and the roads in and out of Tunis can be very heavy, though elsewhere roads are generally quite empty. Your experience will be entirely different — more pleasant and less dangerous — if you keep off major roads, which are both busier and more boring. Though most people you pass on the way will be wreathed in smiles, rock-throwing kids can be an annoyance — this seems to be most prevalent in the north.
This is particularly the case with the massive palmeraies palm groves in the south. Also here is some equally magnificent Hellenistic and Punic statuary. The massive collection is housed in an imposing palace complex built under the Hafsids — , and fortified and extended by the Ottomans in the 18th century. The original palace buildings now connect with a dramatic contemporary annexe, which has doubled the exhibition space. The city was built on the site of an ancient Numidian settlement called Thugga, which explains why the streets are so uncharacteristically tangled.
Famed for its extraordinary underground villas, the Roman city of Bulla Regia, 7km northwest of Jendouba, offers a rare opportunity to walk into complete, superbly preserved Roman rooms rather than having to extrapolate how things once looked from waist-high walls.
To escape the summer heat, locals retreated below the surface, building elegant homes complete with colonnaded courtyards and internal plumbing. Many of their fine mosaics remain in situ, though some of the best are now in the Bardo Museum in Tunis. On the cultivated amber slopes of Mt Mekrima, the fascinating but little-visited ruins of ancient Uthina are the remains of one of the Roman Empire's oldest cities in Africa.
Not much is known about Uthina, but the city had one of North Africa's largest Roman amphitheatres, enjoyed by its cosmopolitan residents in the city's 2nd-century heyday, and it's still the biggest draw for today's traveller. Africa Tunisia. This sprawling maze of ancient streets and alleyways is one of the most impressive medieval medinas in North Africa and one of Tunisia's great treasures. It's home to numerous covered souqs selling everything from shoes to shisha pipes, as well as bustling cafes, back streets full of artisans at work and residential areas punctuated by grand, brightly painted doorways.
Historic palaces, hammams, mosques and madrassas schools for study of the Quran are scattered throughout, many lavishly decorated with tiles, carved stucco and marble columns. The main draw at the Tunisia's top museum is its magnificent collection of Roman mosaics.
These provide a vibrant and fascinating portrait of ancient North African life. Also here is some equally magnificent Hellenistic and Punic statuary. The massive collection is housed in an imposing palace complex built under the Hafsids — , and fortified and extended by the Ottomans in the 18th century.
The original palace buildings now connect with a dramatic contemporary annexe, which has doubled the exhibition space. A medina highlight, this hugely atmospheric souq is filled with exquisitely decorated shops producing and selling c hechias, Tunisia's traditional blood-red felt caps.
In the 17th century, when this souq was built, a million chechias were made annually by 15, craftsmen, sold locally and exported worldwide. Today, the 10 or so chaouachis working here produce the traditional Tunisian version as well as customised hats in a variety of colours and styles exported to North and West African countries.
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