The city of Carthage evokes the extraordinary tale of the Carthaginians, a great civilisation whose bitter rivals, the Romans, were in the ascendancy in Europe.
One of the best ways to begin a visit to Carthage is to take a view of it from on high. The Byrsa Hill looks out over the whole city and the vista extends to the mountains of the Cap Bon beyond the Gulf of Tunis. On the hill you can find a small archaeological museum with a number of interesting artefacts recovered from the area, and even a brief visit is time well spent. Similarly, the nearby 19th century St Louis Cathedral, known locally as the Acropolium, is well worth visiting.
The Antonine Baths, constructed around the middle of the second century AD, are perhaps the most spectacular indicators of Carthage’s former glory. The brief walk down to them through the gardens is an extremely attractive one, and you then stand looking out on to the coast with the Bath Houses in front of you to appreciate their full scale.
A final stop worth making in Carthage is to the Punic Ports, which are a testament to the naval strength the Carthaginians had always enjoyed, and the strategic position of the area, and often ignored by tourists.