Hammamet - Culture

For visitors and Tunisians alike Hammamet is another word for vacations and its ritual of sun bathing on spotless beaches, the gasp of cool water on bronzed skin, dinner on the patio of a beachfront hotel, midnight swims, discos and watching the sun rise in the mirror of the sea.

Hammamet, the "Tunisian Saint Tropez", is all this and more. It's a way of life, taking the time to relax, meet old friends and make new ones. It's fishermen in brightly painted boats setting out at dawn, the medina surrounded by its ramparts and crowned by an ancient fort overlooking the sea, fashionable boutiques where resplendent traditional tunics and caftans rival the shimmering sun.

Hammamet is a cosmopolitan town in the middle of the Cap Bon region of Tunisia. Tunisians speak both French and Arabic. The markets offer an abundance of organic seasonal fruit and vegetables. The fish and seafood are outstanding; caught daily by the local fishermen off the Mediterranean coastline. Tunisian cuisine is a mixture of traditional North African recipes with a strong French influence. It is fresh, exciting and extremely affordable. There are many historical attractions in and around Hammamet.

The Sebastian House is of great botanical and architectural interest. A beautiful Art Deco villa that was built by an Italian Prince who received such guests as Churchill, Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, King Edward and Mrs Simpson to name a few of this century's historical figures. Today it is used as a venue for Music festivals and art exhibitions, with an outdoor amphitheatre overlooking the sea. The stunning gardens provide a beautiful setting for afternoon walks and tea.

Hammamet has one of the finer medinas in Tunisia. It's tiny, but well kept, and it is apparent from the streets and the facades of the houses, that it is not the lower classes living here.

The walls of the houses are white, sometimes with a touch of blue. Doors are often highly decorated, windows have intricate ironworks in pastel blue. Right in the middle, there is a mosque, small and nice. One corner is made up of an old kasbah, the opposite corner overlooks the graveyard and the sea.