Avenue Habib Bourguiba, the grand central boulevard of Tunis, channels Parisian elegance with its tree-lined median, sidewalk cafés and historic facades. The thoroughfare, named after Tunisia’s first president, serves as a busy commercial hub and an open-air museum of 20th-century history, flanked by landmarks like the French Embassy and the neo-Byzantine Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul. Dominating the eastern end, the Tunis Clock Tower rises 38 metres above Place du 7 Novembre. Its gilded, lattice-patterned design blends modernist and traditional motifs, glowing amber after dark. Though functionally modest (locals joke about its reliability), the tower’s height and central roundabout position make it an unavoidable landmark. By day, the avenue thrums with shoppers and coffee drinkers; by evening, it becomes a stage for leisurely promenades. For visitors, it’s less about individual sights than the collective energy: the hum of conversation, the scent of orange blossoms, and the weight of history beneath your feet.

Alexander Pushkin, the father of modern Russian literature, some of whose lines any Russian speaker is guaranteed to be able to recite from memory, spent three fruitful years in this tiny house, exiled. It's a museum these days, and although scant English-language information is supplied in each room, anyone with a particular interest can benefit greatly from a guided tour.

The Louis Vuitton Foundation is as much about the building as what’s inside. Designed by Frank Gehry, its glass sails and sweeping curves are worth the trip alone. Inside, you’ll find changing exhibitions of contemporary art from around the world, along with concerts, film screenings, and workshops.