Sidi Bou Said
Tunisia · Tunis · 130 m
Description
Sidi Bou Said (سيدي بوسعيد) is a village on a cliff above the Gulf of Tunis where every wall is whitewashed and every door, shutter and window grille is painted the same cobalt blue, a rule a French baron had written into local building law in 1915 and that has held ever since. Paul Klee, August Macke and Louis Moilliet painted here in 1914 and the light is still the reason. It is twenty minutes from Tunis by the suburban railway, which makes it the most visited village in the country and busy by mid-morning.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: April – June or September – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Blue and white lanes of the village
- Cafe des Nattes and the mint tea with pine nuts
- Clifftop viewpoint over the Gulf of Tunis
- Dar el Annabi house museum
- Ennejma Ezzahra palace and the music museum
- Studded blue doors and the door knockers
- Craft and ceramic stalls along the main lane
- Marina and the beach below the cliff
- Bougainvillea courtyards of the old houses
Getting there
- Train stations:
- Sidi Bou Said