Hi! We are Eva and Marijtje from the Netherlands, and we spent two weeks at Nomadic Bike Community in Tunis doing activities and cycling Tunisia‘s vibrant capital. Something we definitely recommend!
During these two weeks we did multiple trips (feel free to look at our other blogs), but also a lot of cultural activities. Tunis is rich in concerts, theatres, operas, and many more. Together with some Nomadic Bike friends, we enjoyed many activities — something we’ll tell you more about in this blog, including where to find them and how to get there by bike.
Discovering the City of Culture While Cycling Tunisia’s Medina
On our first cycling trip around the medina of Tunis, Mehdi, a Nomadic Bike Community member, showed us the “City of Culture,” a cultural center that covers 60,000 square meters, filled with art exhibitions, cute cafĂ©s, theaters, different performances, film screenings, and more. One can say it is a very vibrant cultural center, and there is really no reason to be bored during the evenings in Tunis! If you are into exploring Tunisian creativity, this is the place to be.
Even if you are not planning on visiting a performance or exhibition, we still recommend going by this interesting architectural building that combines modern architecture with traditional Tunisian elements, for a walk around the building, or a coffee at one of the cafés.
The City of Culture lies close to the Medina of Tunis and at a good cycling distance from Nomadic Bike Community (8 km, which took us about a 30-minute bike ride). If you are unable to go by bicycle, we also recommend using InDrive for taxis or the Metro. While cycling Tunisia‘s streets, we bypassed this cultural center quite often, be it coincidentally or when we were heading towards one of the many cultural activities with Nomadic Bike Community members.
Live Music and Performances in Tunis
When we visited, we had the luck that there was a jazz concert organized by a collaboration of the Conservatory of Paris and the Conservatory of Tunis — a very special intercultural experience that we highly enjoyed. As one of the Nomadic Bike Community members described it, it felt like “our souls were dancing.” Afterward, we enjoyed a coffee and chatted the evening away.
Another evening we enjoyed a violin concert by an Indian and Tunisian artist, supported by percussion and guitar. Again, a very special experience.
Most evenings there are performances in the center, be it in the opera, theater, or marionette hall. There is always something to do! The agenda of the cultural center, and cultural activities at other locations in Tunis, can be checked at Teskerti.tn, Tunisia’s leading e-ticketing platform.
The events we went to were very affordable; we paid only 25 dinars each (€7.38 or $8.67), paid in advance online by card, which is really a steal for the quality of the wonderful performances.
We thus highly recommend this cultural center!
The Bardo Museum: A Must-See Stop for Anyone Cycling Tunisia
Other cultural experiences we visited include a trip to the Bardo Museum, a huge museum that traces the history of Tunisia through several millennia and several civilizations, including its huge collection of Roman mosaics (one of the largest worldwide). On top of that, the museum is housed in a gorgeous 15th-century palace that alone would be worth a visit. We will write more about this museum and the history of Tunisia in another blog, but we highly recommend a visit to this place! The entry was only 13 TD (€3.83 or $4.50), and you could literally spend the whole day admiring Tunisia’s history. Another bonus: it is only a 5-minute bike ride, or 15-minute walk, from the Nomadic Bike house!
Relaxing at a Traditional Hamam
Another cultural experience that cannot be missed while visiting Tunisia is the hamam. On a rainy day, we decided to immerse ourselves in one of these local spas. An absolutely wonderful experience. We spent hours in the humid, beautifully tiled hamam that warmed us to our bones, after which we had an amazing scrub and massage by the employees. And this for only 25 Tunisian dinars each (€7.38 or $8.67). A highly recommended experience to immerse yourself in local Tunisian bathing culture! We visited and highly recommend the following hamam: Massage & Hammam Dakhlaoui.
Palestinian Film Festival: A Final Cultural Stop
To finish off our cultural week, while cycling through the medina of Tunis, we ran into a Nomadic Bike Community member who told us about a Palestinian Film Festival happening at the local cinema. A wonderful performance by two Palestinian artists is what followed for us that evening, and the rest of the week was filled with Palestinian movie screenings. We highly recommend also checking out if there are any film festivals or other activities going on during your trip in Tunis!
Loved this glimpse into culture and cycling Tunisia? Follow along for more of our Nomadic Bike Community adventures.
