Sidi Bou Said is the picture-postcard village on a cliff just north of the Carthage archaeological sites — a tight grid of whitewashed houses with cobalt-blue doors and shutters, looking out over the Bay of Tunis. The signature colour scheme was imposed by the French aesthete Rodolphe d'Erlanger in the early 20th century and has been mandated for new construction ever since.
The village has been a destination for painters, writers, and aesthetes since the 1920s — Klee and Macke both worked here, and the place still has a small flock of working studios. The main street climbs to a viewpoint at the top of the cliff with a café and a cluster of jewellery and ceramic shops. The Café des Délices, perched halfway up, is the classic spot for mint tea with pine nuts. It is packed at weekends — early morning or late afternoon are better. From Carthage, the easiest way up is the TGM commuter train (just two stops).