Here the gridiron of French town planning clashes head on with sinuous alleyways of traditional Arab quarters. Think of the Avenue Habib Bourguiba as an arrow going straight to the heart of the medina. The main tourist office (00 216 71 341 077, ) is in the New Town, opposite the clock tower in the Place du 7 Novembre, with smaller offices in the Tunis-Carthage airport and in the Place de la Victoire.Check inWhat the El Hana International lacks in character, it makes up for in its central location on the Avenue Habib Bourguiba (00 216 71 331144), in the liveliest part of Tunis’s new town, and within minutes of the medina Double rooms cost 120 dinar (£60). Also in the centre of Tunis is the charmingly decayed Hotel Majestic (00 216 71 332666, majestic gnet.tn). The Soviet-era furnishings betray colonial grandeur – vast echoing bedrooms with high ceilings and spacious bathrooms. At 50 dinar (£25) for a double, the oldest hotel in Tunisia is a bargain for nostalgic travellers looking for the spirit of Andr?ide.

Ask for a room on the top floor, looking on to the Avenue de Paris. The Hotel Salammbo (00 216 71 334252, hotel.salammbo gnet.tn) is a bargain at 30 dinar (£15) for a double room There is a dearth of classy small hotels in central Tunis. But 20 minutes east of the city centre lies Sidi Bou Said – a chic Mediterranean village with superb views across the Gulf of Tunis, which is a relaxed base from which to dip into the capital. The Hotel Dar Said (00 216 71 729666, .tn) is a restored merchant’s house. A standard double costs 250 dinar (£125).Take a hikeFrom the western end of the Avenue Habib Bourguiba, pass beneath the stone gates of the medina.

Take the passage immediately opposite, the Rue Jama?zzitouna, and continue uphill to the Zitouna mosque The prayer hall is not open to non-Muslims. However, from 8am-12 noon, visitors are allowed into the viewing gallery. From here you get great views of the tiled minaret and the Byzantine turrets The mosque was built around 860 Admission is 1 dinar 100 millimes (50p). Around the mosque are souks selling leather goods, perfume, carpets, and jewellery. There is a covered market dedicated to what was once Tunis’s most profitable export – the fez hat (chechia). Just southeast of the mosque is the Medersa Slimaniya – a traditional Koranic school of the 18th century, which sports one of the few mosques in the country open to non-Muslims.