Bizerte, Tunisia's most European city

Located in the far north of Tunisia, and indeed of the African continent, Bizerte is the administrative capital of the eponymous governorate. We are in Kroumirie, a mountainous region that stretches right up to the Algerian border. Bizerte has the geographical distinction of linking the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Bizerte via a canal. This strategic location has played a major role in the city's history, since it was founded by the Phoenicians around 1100 BC under the name of A'Kra.

This small trading post was later Carthaginian, then Roman under the name of Zaritus, which the Arabs called Banzart, now Bizerte. A strategic site that attracted Charles V, the Ottomans, the Venetians, pirates and the kings of France until the French protectorate. French rule did not come to an end here until 15 October 1963, even though Tunisian independence had been granted as early as 1956. France was reluctant to cede this important naval base, which played a major role in the Second World War. The handover was a painful affair during the Bizerte crisis in 1961, when there were three days of clashes with the French army. A little-known episode that cost the lives of several thousand Tunisians.

Bizerte is unlike any other town in Tunisia. It is the most European of Tunisian towns, a strategic port that remained under French rule for seven years after Tunisian independence. You'll love the charm of its old port with its colourful boats, and its "Little Venice" feel. Both the medina and the old port are protected by thick walls. Dominating the town of Bizerte from the hill of Dhar el Koudia, Fort Andalous is an impressive fortress, set in an area with numerous studded gates and moucharabiehs. It stands on the site of a 16th-century Ottoman castle.

A new marina was inaugurated in May 2016, offering a choice of excursions to Lake Bizerte or the Mediterranean Sea. If you're not feeling seaworthy, one option is to stay alongside the quayside and have lunch in an impressive wooden ship that has been converted into a restaurant.

Nearby Cap Blanc, a promontory of whitish hills jutting into the sea, is a favourite weekend excursion spot for Bizertinians. The programme includes sunbathing, swimming and barbecues. A very tempting schedule! It is sometimes wrongly said that this is the most northerly point in Africa. That's almost true, but Cape Angela, some ten kilometres further west, is even further north. A stele in the shape of a map of the African continent has even been installed by the Tunisian government to make official its status as the most northerly point in Africa.

Located 25km south-east of Bizerte, the Ichkeul National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980. Ducks, geese, storks, pink flamingos and other migratory birds thrive here, as do visitors who come to admire the last large freshwater lake in North Africa.

The most coveted cereal granary in North Africa, Bizerte's coastline is rich and varied, with magnificent cliffs and coves, cornices and superb beaches lined with pine forests, such as Rafraf. A splendid and immense beach, untouched by mass tourism. Inland, vineyards and olive groves stretch as far as the eye can see.