El Kef, the authentic

For the city-dwellers that we are, for some, staying at Kef means making a saving break with the urban mob to return to a higher quality of human relationships. “The Kef people are particularly welcoming,” he says. The adage proves to be not only an intense reality, but what is often also ignored is that the region is full of natural sites as archaeological to discover.

Located at 2h30 by car from Tunis, the town of Kef hangs on a hill and overhangs an immense green agricultural plain in the spring. Ancient Numidian city, then, Roman colony, before serving as a stronghold after the Arab conquest, El Kef means “rock”. The city which presents itself in floor, is dominated by an imposing Ottoman fortress. 1001Tunisie invites you to go through the narrow streets and stairs of the city preferably in the spring or if in summer, early or late.

9h: Before attacking the steep slopes of the Kef Medina, it is better to take strength. There is no shortage of cafés, but in a small alley in the town center behind the Post Office, Najet Nejali’s creamery offers a small amount of small sandwiches with fresh ricotta and local honey. Buy a still hot mlaoui at the nearest bakery and taste it all accompanied by a large glass of fresh raïb. Then, the discovery can begin!

10h: It is from the top of the city that we will begin this one. You can leave your vehicle in front of the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions. This museum, quite exciting, sits in the zaouïa of the XVIIIth century of Sidi Ben Ali Ben Aïssa. It is dedicated to the Berber culture and will allow you to have a global vision of the past customs and customs of the region. The architecture of the place is beautiful and the various collections: costumes and ornaments of the bride keffoise, berber tent and its furniture, agricultural tools, equestrian art of the region, pottery …

11h30: Continue your discovery of the city on foot by going to the fortress that dominates the city. The entry of this Casbah built in the XVIIth century by the Ottomans on a Punic bastion numide then Roman is free. Beautiful panorama of the city from the eastern bastion.

12h: A little below the fortress, you will find without difficulty the pretty little Zaouïa Sidi Bou Makhlouf. This seventeenth-century building which remains the seat of the brotherhood of Aïssaouia, founded 4 centuries ago in Meknes, hosts the tomb of the eponymous saint, a Moroccan became patron saint of El Kef.

Just at the entrance of the zaouïa, do not miss a break at the café Bou Makhlouf sipping, in the shade of the murier, a tea or a cold drink. The café offers a haven of peace and allows to appreciate in peace the architecture of the adjoining zaouia and the Casbah a little further.

13h: As for food, the town of Kef does not lack small gargotes. In the city center, sandwiches mlaoui composed copiously of various salads, salami or tuna, will satisfy you for 1TND. As for the restaurant, there is not much choice. The Kechkech restaurant located on the street in front of the Post Office and the restaurant Venus Avenue Habib-Bourguiba are the best known. Family cuisine is served with grills, salads, marqa loubia. For the lovers of good pulpit, the guest house Dar Chennoufi makes table d’hote for its customers. You will taste a typical food made with love and subtlety.

15h: In order to digest your lunch, nothing like a little exercise. Let yourself be carried by the narrow streets of the citadel. The National Heritage Institute and the Ministry of Culture have set up a tourist and cultural tour to discover the 13 historical, archaeological and patrimonial sites of the Kef Medina. To guide you, the plans of this circuit beautifully made in faience tiles, are displayed all over the city. The itinerary makes it possible to walk through the medina, discovering, from street to street, the great mosque, the ancient basilica transformed in the mosque in the eighth century, the Roman baths, St. Peter’s Basilica, an ancient synagogue. The latter, open to the public, testifies not only to the important Jewish community present at the Kef in the sixteenth century after the Spanish “reconquista” but also to this beautiful capacity of Tunisia to be a land of sharing and tolerance.

17h: A stroll through the narrow streets of Le Kef, probably a little tired, we offer you a small break at the cafe Casa Glob located at the entrance of Kef, on the road to Tunis. This family-run café set in a wooded area offers a pleasant setting for resting in the shade of trees and umbrellas. Casa Glob proposes the essential tea with the pine nuts but also fresh juices, parts of cakes and mirrors.

18h: A few forces resumed and in the evening, close to the Casa Glob, the hôtel Les Pins will be able to accomodate you for the night. This well-kept, bright hotel with swimming pool and spacious rooms offers good value for money. Count 60 TND double room and 75 TND for large double (4 beds). If you fancy a more authentic discovery with a lover of the region and for a much more substantial budget then the guest house Dar Chennoufi is your address.

For those who spend several days in the region, there are plenty of places to discover within an hour’s drive of El Kef: the archaeological sites of Althiburos , Bulla Regia, the Chemtou musem , the ruins of Makhtar, Dougga and Mustis, the Table de Jugurtha, the grotte cave of the painter-artist Ammar Belghith in the Dahmani plain, the Mellégue dam and its inn, the national parks of Saddin, El Feija, etc. . But these are other walks for which 1001 Tunisie will guide you.

Aurélie Machghoul

Where to sleep ?

Hotel Les Pins:

Boulevard of the Environment El Kef

Phone : (+216) 78 204 300 / (+216) 78 204 021

Guest House “Dar Chennoufi”

Where to eat ?

Restaurant Venus:

Avenue Habib-Bourguiba City Center El Kef

Phone : (+216) 78 200 355

Coffee Shop Bou Makhlouf:

Next to the zaouïa Sidi Bou Makhlouf