Cycling can be one of the best ways to discover parts of Tunisia you might not otherwise see. This route took us to Belvédère Park, with a fabulous sunset view over the city.
We started off at Dar Bisklette — the quirky home of the Vélorution organisation. They organise a wide range of cycling events including bike maintenance workshops (for all ages!), bike equipment markets and regular “cyclotourism” events. We were greeted by our guides and provided with bikes, helmets and lights.
We set off in crocodile formation down through the Mutuelleville suburbs and take a short break for water at the entrance to the park. Cycling in Tunis can seem intimidating to the uninitiated, but cycling in a group with guides at either end feels very safe — they even stopped the traffic at one of the larger roundabouts to let us all get round.
After a breather we jumped back on for a steep climb to the top of the park. At the top we’re rewarded by a fantastic view over the city of Tunis and with a striking building called La Koubba El-Hua (القبة الهوا). It sits in a quiet corner off the main path, beautifully decorated with intricate Andalusian tiles. One of our guides explained that the Andalusian influence in Tunisian building comes from when Spanish muslims were expelled from Europe and settled along the North African coast, including in Tunisia.
After admiring both the building and the view, we sat down for a Tunisian card game called “Harissa”. Harissa is the ubiquitous fiery pepper paste found in pretty much every Tunisian meal; the aim of the game is to correctly answer questions on Tunisian trivia, or face a forfeit of a spoonful of harissa! Fortunately for me, no harissa had been brought along today, but I was very pleased when I did actually get one question correct (once translated…!). Despite scoring zero on Tunisian proverbs, TV shows or football, it was great fun and I certainly didn’t feel left out!
It was starting to get dark, and after admiring the start of the sunset over the trees, we set off down the hill. Once again, the guides made us feel safe navigating the junctions, despite the evening traffic. The journey back was quick and easy, and soon we’re back at Dar Bisklette.
A mini cycle tour like this is a great way to see a new part of the city, and to meet some other people too. I‘ve even got some Tunisian trivia in my back pocket for next time!
