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Bizerte travel guide
Bizerte is an enigma in Tunisia, as many will tell you it is both the oldest city in Tunisia and also possibly the least Tunisian in terms of History both recent and ancient.
Bizerte is a small city of under 200,000 people though this is enough to make it the 5th largest in Tunisia as a whole. However do not let its size fool you it is a lovely city in a fantastic location rich with history which is why it is essential that you include it in your visit to Tunisia or indeed as part of a sail around the Mediterranean.
Getting there
Bizerte used to be a bit of a difficult trip from Tunis given the single lane road to and from the capital however this has changed and now you can either go via the winding old road (avoid during wet weather) or you can go via the relatively new toll motorway which reduces the distance to a safe as you like 35 (Tunisian driving) or 45 Minutes (English driving). You can also get the louage from Tunis, bus and the train these options drop you off 10 minutes walk from the action of central Bizerte aside from the bus which will drop you in Zarzouna (other side of the bridge).
Welcome to Bizerte!
The first thing you may notice about Bizerte is that it feels different to many of the other parts of Tunisia, its wide sea roads and green hills are reminiscent of southern Italy or possibly some parts of Spain. You definitely get the feeling that this is a good place to grow crops and fish etc which probably explains why this is the oldest settlement of civilisation in Tunisia, one can imagine that the Phoenician settlers sailing from what is now Modern Lebanon though right this place will make a good home sea check, hills check, forest check, wetlands check, lake check add in the defendable position and you have the fung-swei for the ideal ancient town.
I am assuming that you are arriving via road and thus you will come via the bottleneck which is the bridge into Bizerte (hold in mind that this can be up at 3pm and causes much waiting). As you go over the bridge make sure that you look down the large canal and see the industry and buildings on either side of the water, also pay note to the impressive minaret on the mosque on the opposite side of the canal from Bizerte which is a town called Zarzouna and is not to be confused with Bizerte itself.
If you do find yourself waiting for the bridge believe me it is better to turn right after the bus station and head down to the canal side where there is a café where you can watch everybody else get stressed waiting.
Bizerte can be a little difficult to navigate for the first time visitor and has many one way (interdee) signs and thus I recommend that you turn right after the bridge and come to the nice wide seaside road which gives you the space to think and pull over if you see anything that you fancy stopping to see.
At one with the sea
Bizerte is a port city and you are right up against the sea at the front of the city there is a wide mouth which provides a port which at the moment is only slightly taken up with the modern marina, the industrial port is down the canal that you traversed when entering the city. There are large changes coming to this part of Bizerte, which I will mention at the end of this guide.
As you progress down the sea road you will come across a roundabout which will take you into the town if you go left and this is where you can take you ca right into the heart of the old port centre. If you choose you can park the car here as you can also walk down the front of the sea and cross a small bridge, which crosses the entrance to the old port which is well worth a look to get a approach view of the port entrance.
What awaits you when you enter the port is a beautiful double Kasbah that served to protect the small city of Bizerte from all manner of invaders. Originally this would have been the main form of access into Bizerte and the lake behind but with the advent of increasingly large vessels this was superseded buy the canal that you cross via the Bizerte bridge.
You are immediately stuck by the feeling that Bizerte historic centre is very much a place that has evolved over the years and is still a vibrant place to this day with the port humming with fishermen cafes, traders and visitors to the main market which is located behind the main row of buildings in the centre of the Medina. This is a good place to park and to have a break before more in depth exploration a good café is the Marabout (lighthouse) which is on the left hand side of the port and is one of the “hole in the wall” cafes which serve the walkway to the port entrance, a nice café direct should cost you about 750 millims (May 2008) you can also get a nice sandwich from Phantoms which is nice and there are also opportunities for sweet doughty yo-yos and fricassee.
Once you are recharged your first action should be to walk around the sides of the port itself and get your bearings. The port has been built up over the years and though often called Turkish many of the parts near the front are from Charles V time as ruler of Bizerte if you walk up the main Kasbah (the right as you look out to sea) you can if you choose enter the ramparts for 500 millimes each and walk up and onto the gun platforms which give a lovely view of the front and also the old Medina of Bizerte. The opposite wall or Kisbah also houses a café and aquarium. Unfortunately there is little in the way of information in these locations so if you are a history buff best to read up before.
As you stand on the ramparts you look out to see and you can feel what it must have been like defending Bizerte and the fort itself certainly saw some action over the years and changed hands a number of times. Looking behind you can see the homes squashed next to each other in the Medina and the lovely minarets of the old mosques and then the walkway to the market indeed the Medina is a town within a city.
The inside of the walls houses the oldest part of the city and as you look opposite you can see some lovely houses near the other defensive walls and as you work your way around you can see the houses and buildings from the French time in Bizerte with their ornate balconies many of which sadly need a little love but still retain their charm. There are plans to renovate the old buildings and there is also an association for the safeguarding of the Medina which I hope are supported in protecting the buildings some of which are being altered in a non to complimentary style but that is a difference of Bizerte this is not a museum people live and work in this place as they have done for hundreds of years. Keep an eye out for young boys risking it all jumping from the sides of the Kasbah into the water.
Into the Maze
Once you have seen the port area our next stop is the Medina itself which I recommend seeing during the light so that you o not get a little lost as it is a warren of a place. It is said that all the old families of Bizerte have their roots in this area.
As you walk under the arches in the medina walls your first must see is the old Mosque, which is the oldest mosque in Bizerte and it has also been recently restored. Inside the mosque there is a warm cosy design, which is still as popular as ever on Fridays this mosque is very busy and as such you may not want to get stuck when the faithful exit as literally the exits around the mosque become packed.
The medina like the port is a living breathing place and as such you can houses being build and added to even to this day. Unfortunately there is little open to the public in the Medina as the majority of buildings are private homes but I find it fascinating to see that people are still living here though the more affluent of families have relocated to houses outside the old city.
As you exit the medina head for the other old mosque in the port which is the great mosque which is also very old and at the time of typing this guide is undergoing renovation. To the right of the Mosque entrance is the office of the association for the safeguarding of the Medina with is worth a visit even if it just to see an example of the inside of a old building with its wonderful ceilings and tile work. After visiting you can now choose to either wander into the narrow back streets full of workshops and hole in the wall shops or turn back and head towards the main shopping street and the market itself.
The Markets
The market is a lovely example of an old town retaining its importance it is located behind the large coffee shops that line the waterside in the middle of the port. You can either enter the market via the steps behind the large mosque in the centre of the port which takes you to the fruit and vegetable section or the other side which is on a street that has more fruit and vegetable stalls and then feeds into the famous fish market.
The market offers a fantastic selection of produce and especially on the weekend days feels vibrant you can get all of your food here and can by a variety of things from the shops that line the road behind though it is worth having a Arabic speaker with you to make sure you have the best price. The fish market in particular is fascinating even for someone like me who doesn’t love fish so much as the variety is amazing as is the sounds and smells. If you keep you eyes up you can see the tiles and artwork that for years tells customers the products available.
Once you have finished in the market have a walk down the road which has the shops down it keeping the large mosque to your left this road has a mixture of buildings from the colonial period and a eclectic mix of newer additions that though sometimes scruffy provide the shops that are still popular today. There are a number of tourist shops here where you can buy popular items and also one shop that seems to sell nothing but eggs, which is something that I have never seen before.
When you come to the end of the road it opens op into a little square with a couple of cafes, a good cake shop for a coffee and a cake along with a internet café (my brother in laws) and a sweet shop. If you also like there is a good sandwich shop over the road directly opposite.
If you choose to cross the road you will enter the more modern area of Bizerte centre.
(map to the town hall)
If you take the road to the right you will be taken to the main square where you will fine the town hall of Bizerte, which is opposite a park. The bridge can bee seen at the far end. If you stand in front of the town hall and look to the left you will see what looks like an hanger which is situation where a large church once stood.
This is the main administration area of Bizerte and is the location of some lovely French buildings.
Once you have finished here you can head back into town for some further exploration and a bite to eat.
Other things to see in Bizerte
For most visitors the old port is the first and last place they visit in Bizerte and this is a bit harsh as there are a few other things to see before you head back.
Spanish fort and Theatre
Head into the medina but do not go inside the wall and head straight down keeping the wall to the right and the small square to the left and you will come the bottom of the old wall of the “Fort Espanola” or Spanish fort as the locals call it.
Go down here
Ironically I was later to find out that the fort was not completely Spanish as was in fact mainly constructed by Algerians immediately after the forces of Charles V left so maybe fort Anti-Espanola would be a better name. If you have the energy it is worth walking up to the fort either up the side or through the theatre, which is not as old as it looks but forms a dramatic set of steps up to the fort itself. If you find walking hard or are lazy you can get to the fort via road which runs behind it.
When you see this head to the left of the wall
Entrance to the steps of the theatre
This theatre is the home of he famous Bizerte festival which apparently started in the old fort itself and has grown to such a size that it attracts acts from all over Tunisia and the Arabic Music World.
Head up the steps and you have arrived enjoy the view!
entrance to the fort
View of Bizerte from the top
As you enter the fort there are a couple of old guns which look like they may have been made in Italy and they stand abreast an impressive door which leads into the small fort itself.
The I was lucky to bump into someone from the historical society of Bizerte in the entrance to the fort who told me about the different places in the fort for example...
This is a bread oven at the back of the fort
The area to the left of the bread oven was used as the prison area
This was the toilet area
In this well in apparently they found the body of a dead German soldier and dumped guns and ammunition from WW2
The fort is small and only takes a few minutes to fully explore but the views are excellent and the walls are in very good condition testament to the quality of work that went into making this building.
After you have finished taking in all of the scenery you can either leave via the back of the fort and head to the left for the centre of town or back down the steps to the old town.
The Martyrs cemetery
At the top of the town is the large cemetery dedicated to those whom lost their lives during the brief but violent battle of Bizerte with France.
The gates where closed for lunch when I went to visit but it is a lovely quiet place but it is also best to get a cheap taxi up here or drive as it is a bit of a walk up at the back of Bizerte.
The ground of CAB (Club Athletic Bizertin)
Though not the San Siro or Maracana the ground is a visit for football buffs and provides a nice view of the town below as is is high up.
Going to football games is an experience in Tunisia however do ask before you go as they can get a bit exciting in the wrong kind of way from time to time so make sure that you sit in seated section unless you have football mad friends from the town who will look after you.
For those who like to know the ground holds about 13,000 fans though it looks like more can squeeze in at a push.
- Bridge into bizerte
- The old port or Medina
- The Bizerte theatre
- The Spanish Fort
- CAB football Ground
- To the Corniche
- The Ocean Museum
- Beautiful Houses
- Old Medina Mosque
- Cafes and Walk
- Markets
- Tunisia.com office
- Another old mosque
- To the Spanish Fort
- Walk onto the ramparts for a great view and drink
The Corniche/La Grotte
This is the part of town that follows the cost around and is considered the most expensive part of town. You know when you are in the Corniche proper as you see a roundabout with the famous plastic dolphins and a large safe behind of the same name. The land around is built up of large houses mainly owned by richer Tunisians and Chinoo which means outsiders and is a non to complimentary name for those especially young Tunisians who are from abroad and lord it about when they come for the summer holidays.
The Corniche forms a circle called the “route panoramique” where the front over looks the sea and the back raises up so you can view over the houses below. The route is like a circuit and is treated as such in the peak season as cars go frankly far to fast around so be careful when walking. The front of the Corniche is a nice walk and is where you will find some time to relax, you can also go down to the sea from the front but the beach is very rocky and lends itself better for walking than relaxing on.
In the Corniche the majority of shops and facilities are at the entrance and the farther parts are made up mostly of houses. At the entrance of the Corniche you can find cafes a supermarket Bizerte Quads (famous and mentioned later in this guide) and also Hajer’s lovely Internet café (shameless plug opens middle June), which is to the left of the roundabout.
If you have time you can walk through the middle of the Corniche, which is maze of houses and also through the top which goes right into the forest at the top of the hill. For a place with so much land and seeming little in the way of construction controls prices are very expensive in this area for houses and land with 80 dinars meter2 for land with no housing permission to 280-300m2 for near the road with no views, for those of you wanting something overlooking the sea your talking near 1000m2 possibly. It seems like the credit crunch has yet to tame these crazy prices. Ironically during the Battle of Bizerte much of the population of Bizerte become temporary refugees here when it was nothing but fields many residents now in there 50’s and 60’s bought and built houses here including my father in law, my hairdresser and many others however for the next generation the prices are far out of reach aside from the most wealthy.
If you go around the Corniche you will come to a roundabout with a military station if you go passed this you will come to la Grotte, which is a lovely place and is the next place that is being populated albeit much without permission. La Grotte is near Cap Blanche, which is the nearest point between Africa and Europe and this bay is lovely and you can see why folks want to have houses here as the views are fantastic. If you follow the road through La Grotte you come to a place called Park Nadhour which is nice for pizza and kids as they have a small zoo if you do not wish to have something you can simply turn left here and go back via the back roads to Bizerte or head back to where you came from.
The Countryside
If you have the time a must do when you are in Bizerte is have a hike or tour of the countryside. Bizerte’s region is simply beautiful even my wife was shocked at how lovely her town countryside is. In the hills around Bizerte there are a number of lovely vistas, forests and caves which need to be explored, there are also secret beaches, war posts tunnels and mystic places that make it well worth the while to explore. One of the best ways to do this is via quad or have a Hiking tour which you will need to get someone as it is easy to get lost and miss the best bits. The most popular company is Bizerte Quad based in the road into the Corniche and I will be showcasing them and taking some photos I hope within the next few weeks if your heading to Bizerte before then simply visit their office and you have a choice of what to do and many of the tours take in the places mentioned which makes an excellent ay out for the family.
Where To Eat and Stay
There are a number of hotels and restaurants in bizerte however not as many as more touristic parts of Tunisia if your adventurous you will find that food here is much cheaper than Tunis. Please visit our things to do directories to see what is on offer and the latest visitor feedback!
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