Tunis is the capital of the Tunisian Republic. Situated on a large Mediterranean gulf, behind the Lake of Tunis and the port of La Goulette, the city extends along the coastal plain and the hills that surround it. At the centre of more modern development lies the old medina. Beyond this section lie the suburbs of Carthage, La Marsa, and Sidi Bou Said.

Tunis is served by the Tunis Carthage International Airport. The growing metropolitan area is served by an extensive network of public transportation including buses, an above ground light rail system, as well a regional train line that links the city centre to its closest northern suburbs. Multi lane auto routes surround the city and serve the increasing number of privately owned cars one encounters in Tunisia.

Products include textiles, carpets, and olive oil. Tourism also provides a significant portion of the city's income.

Those who treat Tunis as merely a gateway to Tunisias resorts are making a mistake. As well as the labyrinthine ancient Medina, the citys outwardly functional Nouvelle Ville is not unlike Barcelonas Las Ramblas, with its charming, broad pavement shaded by trees. Tunis also boasts many cultural gems, notably the Bardo Museum, which has one of the finest collections of Roman mosaics in the world and the World Heritage protected Medina. Perhaps the most essential cultural visit is to Carthage and its magnificent Roman ruins.

The medina is found at the centre of the city. A dense agglomeration of alleys and covered passages, full of intense scents and colours, boisterous and active trade, a surfeit of goods on offer ranging from leather to plastic, tin to the finest filigree, tourist souvenirs to the works of tiny crafts shops.

Turkish baths are usually open for men in the morning and for women in the afternoon. The important thing is to find one that has not been modernised, which destroys the charm these institutions.

Head to Tunis in late spring as the rainy season will have ended and the weather will be hot and dry, without the stifling humidity of summer.

Touts may well approach you, in the guise of friendly locals, asking where you come from and deploying an awesome range of languages, even Catalan. They will walk with you for a while, but if you make it clear, firmly but politely, that you do not want help, they will go away. In fact, one of the pleasures of the Medina in Tunis is that you dont have to sign up a guide, official or unofficial, you can walk alone.