The port of Bizerte, 65km (40mi) north of Tunis, is the largest city in Northern Tunisia. It sees very few tourists, which is one reason why it's worth a visit. There are a few decent beaches near town, but the main attraction is the architecture of the unspoiled traditional quarter of the old port.The enormous kasbah is the most impressive structure in the old town, with its massive walls towering over the northern side of the entrance to the old harbour. Originally a Byzantine fort built in the 6th century AD, the present fort was built by the Ottomans in the 17th century. The ksibah (small fort) forms the southern bastion of the harbour defences built by the Byzantines and has also been modified over the centuries. It now houses a small but good oceanographic museum.The Place Bouchoucha - more of a thoroughfare than a square - lies at the heart of the old Ottoman town, flanked by the old port to the east and the medina to the west. The area houses some lively fish markets; the Great Mosque, built in 1652 with a striking octagonal minaret; and the beautifully inlaid Youssef Dey fountain, built ten years before the mosque. The so-called Spanish Fort overlooks the town from the hill north of the medina - it's actually Turkish and was built around 1570 AD.

This world heritage national park, 30km (20mi) south-west of Bizerte, is an important bird sanctuary, particularly in winter, when the water of Lake Ichkeul and the surrounding marshes are home to more than 200,000 migratory waterfowl from all over Europe. They include large numbers of coot and wigeon and half a dozen other species of duck, as well as rarer birds like the purple gallinule and the park's emblem, the greylag goose.Ichkeul is the only national park in Tunisia with facilities for visitors, although there is no accommodation in the park and camping is not permitted.

Mahdia is one of the few towns on the central Tunisian coast that has managed to escape being turned into a tourist trap. It's a beautifully relaxed place, founded in 916 AD and set on a small peninsula some 200km (125mi) south-east of Tunis. The town's main attraction is its fascinating old medina, already established by the time the famous historian Ibn Khaldoun visited during the 14th century and called Mahdia the wealthiest city on the Barbary Coast.A walking tour of the medina should take about two hours, depending on how much dawdling you care to do in shops and cafes. The Skifa el-Kahla, the massive fortified gate to the medina, is all that remains of the original city and offers great views from its crest. It opens onto the medina's narrow, cobbled main street, Rue Ali Bey, which was once the souq but now comprises a growing number of tourist stalls. Follow it east to Place du Caire and you will be rewarded with a delightful, small square with shady trees, vines and cafes. The ornate arched doorway and octagonal minaret on the southern side of the square belong to the Mosque of Mustapha Hamza, built in 1772 when the square was the centre of the town's Turkish quarter.Continuing east on Rue Ali Bey, the Great Mosque rises into view. It's a 1965 replica of the 921 AD original that was destroyed by retreating Spanish troops in 1554. Non-Muslims are allowed into the courtyard outside of prayer times. Nearby, you can see the small minaret of the Mosque of Slimane Hamza and continue east toward the Borj el-Kebir, a large 16th century fortress standing on the highest point of the peninsula. Beyond the fort is a cemetery and a lighthouse, near the remains of the old port.