Spices, incense, skins, aromas of freshly made food, everything smells effusive… Discover our Fes Travel Guide: Overview of all the sights, monuments, tourism, things to do and tourist attractions during your visit to Fes.
Fes Travel Guide
Ranked as one of the most beautiful medieval cities in the world, there are many things to see in Fez. We arrived here as the last destination before ending our trip through Morocco and we can say that this is one of the cities to see in Morocco. With this last city we had been able to see three of the four imperial cities of Morocco, the other two were Marrakech and Meknes, the one we are missing, Rabat, we left it to have the excuse to return to such an incredible country.
What to see and do in Fes
The medina of Fes – Fes Travel Guide
In the medina – (City in Arabic)- of Fez there are no cars. In fact, it is the largest car-free urban area in the world. The narrow streets built 1,200 years ago do not allow their transit. Perhaps that has been, in part, its salvation from the clutches of modernity. Everything is done on foot, by motorcycle or mules, which are used as a means of cargo and transportation.
The essence of the medina of Fez cannot be captured. It transcends forms and senses. The best way to tame the old city is to let yourself be carried away by its intricate labyrinth of alleys, stairways and squares. Always by the narrowest, under the maxim that the shortest way between two points, is not always the best. It is in this context that its greatness begins to reveal itself.
Around the Bab Bou Jeloud gate, also called the Blue Gate, there is a persistent aroma of fresh mint that is confused with fennel, lemon verbena and orange. It is a small market where they sell vegetables and fruits. Everywhere you look there is a beautiful picture that could well be medieval. And that is one of the wonders of this city, which seems to have dodged the passage of time.
There is a feeling of contained decadence, as if every wall could collapse at any moment. The timbers and structures that prop up the walls are part of the medina’s scenery. Yet, as if it were an aristocratic old lady, it still retains glimmers of a remote splendor.
Visit the souks – market
The souks or small markets appear as you walk. There is a spice souk, where sacks overflowing with cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg or cumin are concentrated. Again it is the sense of smell that celebrates the find. There is another souk of cosmetics, natural medicines and henna, the famous product with which Moroccan women decorate their skin and dye their hair.
The metal market is very picturesque, it is in a small square where they sell candlesticks, teapots and decorative objects of copper and brass. The dried fruit souk is very popular with tourists. There you can buy peanuts, almonds, dates and nuts at very cheap prices. At this point you should always remember to bargain, it is part of their culture.
Bab Boujloud
Bab Boujloud or the blue door is the starting point of all visits to Fes, This door has been built in 1913 being the main access to the Medina Fez el-Bali, the oldest and most charming area of the city.
The medina of Fez el-Bali, the largest of the two in the city, is the largest pedestrian area in the world, and was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1981. The city is served by the Saïss airport.
The gate is tiled in blue on the outside in homage to the color of the city, which is blue, and on the inside in green, in honor of Islam. Just by crossing the gates, you will enter a different world.
The Bab Boujloud gate is the easiest access to the medina of Fez.
Tanneries (Tannerie Chouwara)
One of the most recommended places to visit in Fez is the Chouwara Tannery. There are other tanneries in the city, but without a doubt this is the most impressive. We have put it the first thing to visit on this second day so you can go to see it at the best time, we recommend that you go around 9 am. The place itself is a kind of shallow pits where the leather is dyed. This is important, as you can imagine the leather gives off quite a strong smell, you have to be prepared for it. Around these pits there are a lot of terraces from where you can see the daily life of these workers. These terraces belong to stores that sell mostly leather goods.
Karaouine Mosque
The Karaouine Mosque is one of the oldest buildings in the city, was built in 859. The building is wedged between a multitude of alleys that make it virtually impossible to see its size. In this mosque, as in all of Morocco, you are not allowed to enter if you are not Muslim. If you are lucky enough to visit on a Saturday, you will be able to see it from the outside. It is one of the most interesting buildings in Fez, Morocco.
But if there is something that caught our attention, it is that it is the oldest university in the world. It is one of the most important centers of Islamic learning and has an unrepeatable library. It had more than 320,000 works in 1613, but today only 30,000 have been preserved, some of them unique in the world and of incalculable value.
The Jewish Quarter
Nearby is the Mellah, the Jewish quarter. Walking from the Agdal Gardens takes no more than 15 minutes. Most cities in Morocco have their Mellah and the one in Fez, dating from 1438, is the oldest in the country. The Jews chose this location, next to the Royal Palace, to enjoy the protection of the caliph. Its narrow streets also offer a myriad of stores and cafes. The architecture of the houses stands out, with large balconies protected by wooden lattices, which prevent being seen but allow light to enter.
Excursions & Desert Tours – Fes Travel Guide
One of the best excursions you can do from Fes for an authentic Moroccan experience is to go to the desert. Admiring the vastness of the horizon while surrounded only by giant golden sand dunes is one of the best things to do in Morocco, and well worth the effort to get there from Marrakech.
Merzouga is the gateway to the Erg Chebbi Dunes, one of the most impressive deserts in Morocco, and unforgettable experiences can be enjoyed there. The best? Watching sunset and sunrise from the top of the dunes, being impressed by the beauty of the color of the sand as the sun begins to give off its first rays or when it hides; seeing the starry sky and discovering beautiful constellations; or exchanging cultural secrets with the Berbers are magical things!
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