Sidi Bou Said

Sidi Bou Said is the village on almost every picture of Tunisia: white walls, blue shutters and doors, and a steep hill above the Gulf of Tunis. It lies about 20 km north-east of the capital and takes its name from Abu Said al-Baji, a holy man who founded a sanctuary on the hill, then called Jabal el-Menar, and died there in 1231. In the eighteenth century wealthy families from Tunis built summer houses here, and in the early twentieth century Baron Rodolphe d'Erlanger helped popularise the blue and white colour scheme that still defines the village.

The pleasure of a visit is mostly in walking. The main street climbs from the lower village past craft shops to the square at the top, where the Café des Nattes and its famous flight of steps have been a meeting point for generations. From there, lanes lead to the clifftop Café des Délices with its view over the bay, and to Ennejma Ezzahra, the baron's palace, which now houses a centre for Arab and Mediterranean music. Dar El Annabi, a preserved traditional house, shows how a well-off family lived.

The village has long attracted artists and writers. Paul Klee and August Macke painted here, André Gide owned a house, and Michel Foucault lived in the village while teaching in Tunis. Contemporary art galleries still line some of the lanes, so the village remains a place to look at art as well as views.

Sidi Bou Said is busiest at weekends, on summer evenings and when cruise passengers arrive, so come early on a weekday morning for quieter lanes and better light. The streets are steep and cobbled in places, so wear sensible shoes, and allow two to three hours including a tea break. Sunset over the bay is popular, and many visitors stay on for dinner.

The TGM suburban train from Tunis stops at Sidi Bou Said, and from the station it is an uphill walk to the village centre, so take your time on hot days. It is easy to combine with the ruins of Carthage, one or two stops away, or with an evening by the sea in La Marsa at the end of the line.