Bizerte, Tunisia

Bizerte is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. Bizerte is located on the north coast of Tunisia, 66 km north of Tunis and 15 km away from Cap Blanc, the northernmost point in Africa. The city is on the Mediterranean coast and is close to both Sardinia and Sicily. Due to its strategic location in the northern Mediterranean coast of Tunisia, Bizerte is considered an important commercial and military city. It is also known as the Bridge-city since it is reached through a moving bridge over a canal.

Bizerte is especially well known for the great and large beaches, like Sidi Salem, La Grotte, Rasenjela, and Al Rimel. The central port of Bizerte is a beautiful place. It's "defended" from the sea by a double kasbah that is in perfect shape despite its 400 years of age (the original structure dates back to Byzantine times). The houses at the port are made up of a beautiful mixture of greyish white and pale blue.

The city features an attractively Phoenician old port and the Spanish fort, which is dated from the 16th century. It was built by the Turkish to protect the city from the continuous Spanish threats. In addition, Bizerte was a major naval base during the French protectorate. It was the last city to be evacuated from French troops.

Things to See & Do

* Spanish Fort
* Kasba
* Oceangraphic Museum
* Market District
* Walk the beach

General Information

Cruise Season – Oct - May
Currency – Tunisian Dinar (TND)
Language – Arabic
Population – 120,000 approx
Land Area – 314 km²
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time – GMT plus one hour
International Country Telephone Code – + 216

Transport Links – Bizerte is located 100km from Tunis which is served by the Tunis-Cathage Airport. The major western carriers who service Tunis-Carthage are Air France and Lufthansa, from Paris or Frankfurt.

Tunisia has over 70 bus lines, with Tunis at the hub. There are two bus stations in town, with Gare Bab el Fellah serving southern destinations and Gare Bab Saadoun serving those to the north. Buses are run by SNTRI at both stations.

Ferries connect Tunis to a number of international destinations including Trapani, Palermo, Naples, Civitavecchia, Livorno,Malta Genoa and Marseille. The main ferry terminal is at La Goulette, but check your departure terminal carefully as there are also other ports.