Tunisia

November 2025

My winter trip in 2025/26 began with a flight to the Tunisian island of Djerba, where I met up with the group I was going on a 7-day Sahara trek with.

After a day off in Djerba, my Sahara adventure began.

7-day Sahara trek

The starting point was the small town of Douz on the edge of the ‘Eastern Great Erg’, the largest sand sea in the Sahara.

We had tents, but I slept under the open sky. As we were traveling around the time of the full moon, we saw many stars, but unfortunately the Milky Way was not visible. There were no showers during the seven days. Wet wipes were used as an alternative. We were surprised that we did not notice any unpleasant odors on ourselves or our group during the entire time.

One of our dromedaries shortly before sunrise

The Bedouins are up early and make a fire for our breakfast.

Every morning, bread is baked in the sand.

After kneading the dough made from flour and water, it is covered with sand and embers and baked for about 12 minutes.

It is then turned over and baked again briefly.

Finally, it is cleaned of ash and sand.

It tastes wonderful!

After packing the dromedaries, we hike through the desert …

Every evening we enjoyed impressive sunsets.

Here we see tomorrow’s destination, Mount Tembaine, which at 239 meters is the highest point in the ‘Eastern Great Erg’.

My bed in the morning

Like every morning, bread is baked.

On our way, we came across a spring where our Bedouins drew water from a depth of 30 meters.

The view from my tent.

On Mount Tembaine

The Tembaine seen from a dune above our night camp

A new day

Amazing sand formations

And the last impression

An incredible experience!

On the way back to Djerba, our group stopped in Matmata, where we had lunch in a typical cave house of the region and visited the house where Luke Skywalker lived in some of the Star Wars films.

The pastry on the left in the picture is called brik. It is a puff pastry with various fillings, but eggs and cheese are always included.

The Sidi Idriss Hotel was Luke Skywalker’s home in several Star Wars movies.

Houmt Souk

Back in Djerba, I enjoyed a day off exploring the town of Houmt Souk and the island.

Fort Ghazi Mustapha

The souk of Houmt Souk

The Church of St. Joseph, the only Christian place of worship on the island

Wall paintings are common in Djerba.

After chatting with these fishermen, they even treated me to a beer.

The next day, I picked up my rental car, which I used to explore southern Tunisia for 10 days.

First, I drove to the beach on the island of Djerba, where the all-inclusive hotels are located.

A visit to the Guellala Museum is well worth it. The architecture is impressive and visitors are given a vivid insight into Tunisia’s many customs and traditional costumes.

An olive mill in the museum

Salt lake of Zarzis

On the way to Tataouine, I passed this salt lake.

Tataouine

Around 65,000 people live in the bustling city of Tataouine. Driving is an adventure, as it is in all Tunisian cities. There seem to be no rules for anyone on the road here, including pedestrians, motorcyclists, animals, and cars. I was constantly surprised and had to drive extremely carefully. Fortunately, I was able to return the rental car to Djerba 10 days later without any damage.

There are many pastry shops in the city.

However, the specialty is garn ghzel (also called mehchi tataouine), which translates as “gazelle horn.” It is a fried pastry filled with almonds and coated with honey.

Tataouine is an ideal base for visiting so-called ksars, fortress-like abandoned Berber settlements.

Ksar Ouled Soltane

Ksar Tounket

On the way to the fort

View from outside

and from the inside

I found two olive oil mills.

View from the fort across the landscape

Ksar Beni Barka

Another impressive Berber settlement, strategically built on a hill

The landscape around the fort

After this day, I deserved some couscous.

The Chenini settlement

Chenini is quite large and stretches across two hills. Here is the first hill.

And the view of the second hill. To the right of the mosque is an ugly cell phone tower, which I removed from the picture.

View from the first hill. A breathtaking view!

One of the many cave dwellings

Mosque of the Seven Sleepers

According to legend, seven believers hid in a cave to escape persecution. They fell asleep and did not wake up again until centuries later. The extra-long graves in the courtyard, measuring several meters, are also interesting.

Ksar Mrabtine

Berber village of Guermassa

This abandoned village was impressive in the light of the setting sun.

Ksar Hallouf

View of the area

Tamezret village

I stayed nearby and visited the village on foot.

A resident has set up a museum in his cave dwelling.

Sunset over Tamezret seen from my accommodation.

On my way, I passed these car skeletons, which are slowly being swallowed up by the desert.

Douz

After starting my desert trek in Douz, I passed through this town for the second time. This time it was market day. I love markets because they offer so many photo opportunities.

Bechri Hot Spring

On my way to Tozeur, I passed these hot springs, where the locals like to take a bath. The stairs and the building in the background are completely covered with minerals.

Chott el-Jerid

On the way, I passed the salt lake Chott el-Jerid for 20 km. The lake has no outflow, so the water evaporates.

A little way off the road, an abandoned bus is rusting away.

This building is part of an ancient Roman irrigation system.

Tozeur

In this desert city, I stayed in the most expensive accommodation of my trip around Tunisia.

Chebika Oasis

Mides Canyon

Tamerza Oasis

In a restaurant in Tozeur, I saw dromedary on the menu. As a special dish, it had to be pre-ordered. So I reserved it for the next evening and was served this dromedary T-bone steak. It was delicious!

Star Wars film set ‘Mos Espa’

Omg Jmal

From Mos Espa, I wanted to get to a desert location called Omg Jmal, but there were only sandy tracks leading there, which I couldn’t manage with my car. So I decided to walk there instead.

At first, I met some motorcyclists who were enjoying riding in the sand.

I estimated the walk to take an hour, but soon realized that the location was not marked correctly on the map and that I had to walk for another half hour. At least the scenery was breathtaking.

View from the hill at Omg Jmal

I was lucky and didn’t have to walk back. A Chinese woman traveling alone arrived in Omg Jmal from the other side in her car and gave me a lift.

A restaurant in the old town of Tozeur

Night lighting

Toujane

On my way back to Djerba, I stayed overnight in Toujane, a small Berber village in the mountains. This is the view from the aptly named café ‘La Belle Vue’.

Djerba

Back in Djerba, before returning the car, I visited the town of ‘Djerbahood’, which is known for its many murals.

Djerbahood

This face is not painted. The dark areas are carved into the white-painted wall.

A cafe

The medina (old town) of Houmt Souk

In the second half of November, the weather turned cool and the tourist season came to an end. The luxury hotel ‘Hasdrubal Prestige Thalassa & Spa Hotel’ was also closed and deserted.

My journey continued northward by public transportation. The best means of transport are minibuses, which are called louage in Tunisia. They depart when the bus is full, which never takes long.

Sfax

This large city is located about 270 km from Djerba on the coast. Since hardly any tourists come here, the old town, called a medina in Tunisia, is still unspoiled from tourism.

The Great Mosque

Taxi drivers waiting for customers

El Jem

After traveling 75 km north, I reached this small town, which is famous for its huge amphitheater. It was built as part of the Roman settlement of Thysdrus at the beginning of the 3rd century AD. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

Amphitheater

Archaeological Museum

This museum displays magnificent mosaics found in the area around El Jem.

This mosaic depicts Venus, the goddess of love, in a shell. It was created more than a thousand years before the famous painting by Italian artist Sandro Botticelli, who painted ‘The Birth of Venus’ around 1480, which also shows Venus on a shell.

Mahdia

I drove 42 km further to the coastal town of Mahdia. The town was originally built on a headland, as this model shows.

Almost at the tip of the headland stands the fort ‘Borj el Kebir’.

Worshippers in the mosque

And the minaret of the mosque

In the old town (Medina)

View from the city gate to the new town

Beaches outside the old town

Monastir

50 km northward, I reached another coastal town.

Ribat

A ribat is an Arabic word for fort. This ribat is the oldest one built during the Arab conquest of North Africa. It dates back to the year 796.

View from the ribat onto the coast

The Ribat by night

Mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba

Monastir is particularly famous for Tunisia’s former president Habib Bourguiba, who was born in Monastir. He led Tunisia to independence in 1956 and was first prime minister and then Tunisia’s first president until 1987. The mausoleum is impressive.

Sousse

22 km further north along the coast, I reached the city of Sousse, which has a population of around 300,000.

Ribat

View of the city from the ribat

Dar Am Taieb Museum of Contemporary Art

The large estate of local artist Taïeb Ben Hadj Ahmed houses countless works that testify to his amazing creativity.

Archaeological Museum

This museum has an excellent collection of artifacts from the area dating back to the 7th century BC. The perfectly preserved mosaics are particularly striking.

A beautifully decorated baptismal font

Kairouan

Around 55 km west inland lies this city, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded in 670 and is an important center for Sunni Islam. Even today, the city is considered the most religious city in Tunisia.

So I visited the Great Mosque first.

Great Mosque

Founded in 670, it is the oldest mosque in North Africa.

Medina (Old Town)

Mausoleum Sidi Abid el Ghariani

The Sidi Abid el Ghariani mausoleum in Kairouan was built in the 14th century and is the burial place of Al-Jadidi, an important legal scholar.

Maison du Bey

This magnificent former governor’s house now contains a carpet store.

Tunis

160 km further north, I reached my final destination of the trip, the capital city of Tunis. By then, it was the end of November and the weather was cold and wet. Despite the heating in my poorly insulated apartment in the old town, I had to wear a sweater and jacket to keep warm.

Medina (old town)

Tunis has a large old town with many winding alleys.

Although there were hardly any people in the medina at night, I felt safe.

Bardo National Museum

This impressive museum is located in a 15th-century palace. It showcases the civilizations of Tunisia since their origins thousands of years ago and is the second-largest museum in Africa after the Egyptian Museum.

The building itself is fantastic!

The mosaics are particularly worth seeing!

A servant holds up a mirror to her master (from Carthage, mid-5th century AD).

This mosaic depicts the scene in which the Greek sailor Ulysses must resist the sirens (from Dougga, 260-280 AD).

In the center stands Neptune, god of the sea (between 138 and 161 AD).

An ornate baptismal font

Al-Zaytuna Mosque

This is the largest mosque in the Medina of Tunis and was founded over 1,200 years ago. Some architectural elements were transported from the nearby archaeological site of Carthage and reused here.

Day trip to the archaeological site of Carthage

Just 15 km from the old town of Tunis lies this historic city, founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC. For several centuries, it was the capital of the Carthaginian Empire. In 1979, the site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There was quite a lot to see, but I had expected more.

Sidi Bou Said

Just a few kilometers from the archaeological site of Carthage, this village is visited by tourists for its beautiful blue and white houses and picturesque streets.

Ennejma Ezzahra Palace

This palace, built between 1912 and 1922 by Baron Rodolphe d’Erlanger to live in Tunisia in a manner befitting his status, is particularly worth seeing. After Tunisia gained independence in 1956, it became the first museum in the country.

It is an outstanding example of Moorish architecture.

Day trip to the archaeological site of Dougga

This city, founded in the 6th century BC, is located about 115 km west of Tunis in the interior of the country. The site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 as the best-preserved Roman small town in North Africa. I was very impressed and felt like a resident of this ancient city.

Roman theater

Right at the entrance is this theater, which seats 3,500 and is still in use today.

Capitol

An alleyway with a view of the Capitol

Libyan-Punic Mausoleum

It dates back to the 2nd century BC.

Licinian Baths

The baths were donated to the city in the 3rd century AD by the Licinii family.

The Temple of Juno Caelestis

This temple was also donated to the city and is dedicated to the god Juno. It was built between 222 and 235 AD.

Hippodrome

Chariot races took place here. Unfortunately, nothing remains to be seen and the land is now used for agricultural purposes.

More views

Dar Belhadj Restaurant in Tunis

My Airbnb host recommended this restaurant for my last evening in Tunisia. It was the most expensive restaurant of my trip to Tunisia.

In the middle of the run-down old town, I was surprised by the beauty of the building.

Even a musician accompanied the meal.

The food was good, but nothing special.

This marked the end of my month-long trip to Tunisia, which took me from the Berbers in the south to the more modern Tunisia in the north. There was a lot to see and I met many friendly people.

Afterwards, I traveled on to Uganda.

 

This text is an automatic English translation from the German original by deepl.com