When a railway line is reborn in Tunisia

It’s sometimes forgotten, but Tunisia has a railway network (SNCFT) of around 2,000 km and 23 lines that covers the country rather well, connecting most major cities, particularly along the coast. And whilst trains may not be used as much as they should be by tourists, certain routes offer the discovery of superb landscapes, almost earning the title of “scenic railway lines”.

It’s precisely one of these that should restart by the end of summer after several years of interruption. This famous Line 13 takes you from Métlaoui to Tozeur in southern Tunisia’s desert landscapes.

Revitalising the local economy and tourism in the Deep South

Even though it’s barely 50 km between Métlaoui and Tozeur stations, this line had been cut for more than five years, falling victim to sand encroachment from the numerous desert dunes that abound in the region. But today, it’s ready to restart soon with the ambition of revitalising the local economy as well as tourism in Tunisia’s Deep South.

Thanks to this line, the town of Tozeur, gateway to the desert, will once again be accessible by train from the capital Tunis as well as from Gafsa and especially the tourist towns along the coast. This means visitors won’t have to take a plane or use cars or buses to get there.

And since this corner of Tunisia, once again crossed by rail, is rich with beautiful landscapes and distinctive architectural heritage, it’s likely to attract its fair share of visitors.
Indeed, tour operators, hoteliers, restaurateurs and local guides see this relaunch as a good opportunity for sustainable growth in the region’s tourism activity. Not to mention the populations of the served localities who should also benefit, both in terms of transport and jobs and services linked to this tourism boost and improved connectivity.

In short, it’s a good initiative for a line that’s said to be modernised with refurbished carriages and satisfactory levels of comfort and safety.

> Infos : www.sncft.com.tn

These three superb oases to visit from Tozeur

Even though they’re relatively little visited, here are three mountain oases near Tozeur not to be missed if you’re in the region. They’re called Chebika, Tamerza and Mides.

Chebika, the closest

This is the closest to Tozeur and therefore the most accessible by road, but also the smallest of these three mountain oases.
Chebika is renowned for its lush vegetation, date palms and natural springs that create waterfalls forming small natural pools, all amidst the rocky desert landscape. As the oasis is nestled in a gorge, offering spectacular mountain and cliff scenery, its setting is truly remarkable.
Take time to wander along the paths through its palm grove until you reach the old village, now abandoned, which lies near the new Chebika.

Tamerza, ‘the historic one’

This is the next one, a few kilometres by road from Chebika.
Unlike the others, Tamerza has a long history and was an important commercial centre, having been one of the Roman Empire’s outposts, then a bishopric during Byzantine times. Here too emerges the distant green of the palm grove that contrasts with the arid surroundings, with the same cascade found in other oases where it’s delightful to bathe.

And then at Tamerza, there are these fascinating ruins. Those of an ancient Berber village, bearing witness to the oasis’s past, that truly transport you to another world and another era. Absolutely must-see…

Mides, the most isolated

Finally, Mides. The most distant of the three and positioned directly on the Algerian-Tunisian border.
Perched on an arid canyon rich in fossils and minerals, the old village stands there, abandoned since 1969 following floods that killed several people. This is what you must visit before walking at the bottom of these narrow, deep gorges carved by water over the centuries. End the walk at the new “village-oasis” nestled in the neighbouring palm grove.

And also…

While you’re there, take the opportunity to visit Nefta as well, a small oasis town situated on the edge of Chott el-Jerid, near the Algerian border. Like many oases, it has beautiful typical architecture and a vast palm grove to explore.
Chott el-Jerid itself. This chott or “expanse of salt water in the desert” near which the town of Tozeur was built is also worth seeing for its landscapes and vast salt flats where you’ll feel like you’re on another planet.
And finally, to conclude, here are the Selja gorges, north of Tozeur, which can be discovered over about forty kilometres thanks to another train, this one entirely touristic, called the Red Lizard.