THE INTRIGUING IMPERIAL CITY OF FEZ, MOROCCO

Fun in Fez!

Fez, Meknes, Marrakesh and Rabat are the 4 imperial cities of Morocco, and all are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Located in the north-east of the country, Fez is often referred to as the cultural capital and its ancient walled city has been compared to Jerusalem. As a city, its primarily famed for its 2 medina quarters, Fes El Bali and Fes El Jdid, both with their colourful medieval architecture, bustling alleyways and everyday local life. In fact, collectively they are believed to be one of the world’s largest urban car-free pedestrian zones.  Despite this, Fez is still one of Morocco’s best kept secrets, as Marrakesh tends to get more international acclaim.

 

5 things to do in Fez?

  • Medina. Fez offers one of the best-preserved historic towns of the Arab-Muslim world.  Simply get lost in the maze-like narrow streets and bustling squares, shop until you drop, sample traditional cuisine and step back in time.  No map will make any sense of the 1000’s of name-free alleyways, so do expect to get totally lost!

 

  • Chaouwara Tannery. Experience first-hand one of the oldest traditional tanneries, dating back to medieval times. Here, skins are cured and then laid out to dry in the sunshine. The intoxicating smell and sight of the multi-coloured dyeing vats is not to be missed. This certainly is a great place to buy your leather goods!

 

  • Al Quaraouiyine Mosque. Built in 859BCE by Fatima al-Fihri, this site is regarded as one of the oldest universities in the world. Today it operates as a both a mosque and a library.

 

  • Mellah Jewish Quarter. Fes el-Jdid became a refuge for the Jewish community back in the 14th  Mellah offers an abundance of Jewish architecture, to include the renowned Ibn Danan synagogue.

 

  • Jnan Sbil Gardens. Located just outside the medina walls, Jnan Sbil is one of the oldest and most beautiful gardens in Fez.  The gardens and lake offer peace and tranquillity away from the caotic medina.

 

How long should I spend in Fez?

It’s best to allow 2 full days to experience Fez. Many visitors simply spend 3 – 4 hours as part of a combination trip that include Rabat, Voublis, Meknes, Marrakesh and Casablanca.

 

Best time to go to Fez?

The best time to visit Morocco is during spring (mid-March to May) or autumn (September to October). The weather is warm but pleasant, unlike the cold temperatures and snow of winter, or the sizzling heat of summer.

 

Where to stay in Fez?

Some of the best places to stay in Fez, can be found in this article written by The Telegraph, to include luxury, boutique & budget hotels.

 

How to book?

Operating since 1945, Transatour provides a personalized and professional approach to travel.  As a certified travel agency, Transatour is a specialist destination management company that caters for incoming tours and ground services, plus meetings and incentives.  Regarded as one of the best travel operators in Morocco, Transatour provides a wide range of hotels, riads, safari camps, tours, excursions, car hire, transfers … and much more. For details of Transatour’s partner tour operators, please contact Jonathan on: jon.wilkins@transatour.ma

 

Select Representation is a travel sales & marketing representation company, headquartered in the UK. This experienced consultancy provides the perfect option for hotels & destination management companies (DMC’s) wishing to expand their business from the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Iceland. Our DMC partner in Morocco is the vastly experienced Transatour.  We are also a founder member of Global Travel Representation Alliance.