Tozeur is very much a city relying on tourism, but everything is done in a tasteful manner. Early developers understood that it was the traditions and culture that represented the possibilities for the future. While agriculture remains an important income, tourism employs a large part of the 40,000 inhabitants. But it is not only the lifestyle and the specific architecture of Tozeur, that bring tourists out here. The city is well situated at the fringe of the seasonal large lake Chott el Jerid , allowing visits into the Sahara, as well as to many other smaller settlements. The history of Tozeur goes back a couple thousand years. Through most of its history has been autonomous, and beyond the direct control of Tunisian rulers. With the arrival of the French protectorate, no place in the country resisted new lifestyles and education more than Tozeur. Houses of Tozeur are decorated with rectangular yellow bricks arranged in patterns. The result is one of the most distinct and bea
Once you’ve passed the mesmerising landscape of the salt lake Chott el-Jerid, you start getting the glimpse of the enormous palmeraie that shields Tozeur. The salt lake is a snowy-white sheet, stretching for miles. If you step on the crackling surface, the salt sticks to your shoes, and the lake’s water can still be seen underneath. This largest of Tunisia’s salt lakes is dry for 10 months of the year and has a causeway running over it – it’s an extraordinary sight, not to be missed. Tozeur town’s old quarter is a small maze of fascinating and intricate brickwork houses, arches and walls. There’s an ONTT tourist office (450 088; 8am-noon & 3-6pm) located on Ave Abdulkacem Chebbi. Another tourist office is the Syndicat d’Initiative (462 034; Place Bab el-Hawa). There are several banks with ATMs on Ave Habib Bourguiba. There are two Publinets at Ave Farhat Hached (open 24 hours) and at Ave Abdulkacem Chebbi, both charging US$1.50 per hour for internet access. Tozeur was h