El Kef

The imposing Atlas Mountains boast stunning panoramas, including, for example, the Ottoman fort in El Kef. You can also enjoy fabulous views of the mountains of the Jugurtha Tableland. Take a stroll through the old town of El Kef, which is nestled into the cliff face overlooking stunning valleys. One of its attractions is the plethora of different monuments and relics from all eras and all religions. You’ll be able to see cisterns and Roman baths, an ancient church dedicated to St Peter, an 18th century Jewish synagogue that is also honoured by the town’s Muslims, and three neighbouring cemeteries: Muslim, Jewish and Christian. But El Kef’s most iconic monument is the Sidi Bou Makhlouf Mausoleum, with its ribbed white domes and its octagonal minaret decorated with emerald green ceramics.

Discover the original cuisine of the western regions and the ingredients produced by this generous land. In El Kef, you can enjoy a really unusual sweet and savoury couscous called berzguen: washed down with milk and served with lamb flavoured with rosemary from the mountains, dried fruit and dates, it is a traditional dish for festive occasions. Another local dish is malthouth: ground barley prepared in the same way as couscous. Try some rustic barley bread or an age-old recipe like zrir, a sesame and hazelnut cream.

The western regions were incredibly prosperous in ancient times, and boast a wealth of treasures for amateur archaeologists. The site of Makthar, one of the largest in Tunisia, is home to some spectacular remains, like the Arch of Trajan, the Large Baths and the elegant colonnade of the School Juvenum. Sbeitla is remarkable due to its Capitol, made up of not one, but three temples dedicated to Minerva, Jupiter and Juno, the gods that protected Rome. In Haïdra, you can see the remains of one of the largest Byzantine fortresses in North Africa, as well as a number of Christian churches. Indeed, the western regions boast extensive traces of ancient Christianity. In Sbeitla, the huge Basilica of Vitalis has a stunning basin for baptisms covered in mosaics. In the countryside, the El Gousset archways are all that remain of a large church, 33 metres long, reminding us that Tunisia was once a key stronghold for Christians in the West.