The Bardo National Museum stands as Tunisia’s largest museum and an essential stop for history and art lovers. Housed in a majestic Hafsid-era palace (1228–1574), later expanded by the Ottomans, its collection ranks among the Mediterranean’s most significant — second only to Cairo’s Egyptian Museum in Africa. The museum’s Roman mosaics, unearthed during 19th-century excavations, offer vivid glimpses of ancient North African life, complemented by Punic and Hellenistic statues. A modern annexe has doubled the exhibition space, blending seamlessly with the historic palace. Guided tours come highly recommended to fully appreciate the museum’s treasures.

La Marsa offers a refined coastal escape just north of Carthage, where the creatives of Tunis mingles with sunseekers along a lively corniche. The main beach draws families for summer swims, while off-season sees fishermen casting lines from the sand. What distinguishes this stretch is its evolving cultural scene: skateboarders carve concrete slopes by day as musicians strum under the palms, creating an organic performance space above the shore. The neighborhood’s architectural legacy reveals its bourgeois roots. Whitewashed villas with intricate mashrabiya screens stand guard along avenues lined with jacaranda trees. Recent years have brought a creative influx, with designers and musicians transforming old seaside residences into studios. While the western edges fade into industrial zones, the heart of La Marsa retains its aspirational charm, particularly around Avenue Habib Bourguiba where pavement cafés serve mint tea with Mediterranean views.

Imagine yourself in the middle ages in the Great Beguinage, recognized as World Heritage by UNESCO.