Marrakech: Come, to the Kasbah!

When I think of Marrakech, I think of…

La Mamounia‘s glamorous big pool and gardens

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La Mamounia’s big, glam pool

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La Mamounia’s long lobby cocktail bar has a terrace that overlooks their garden, above. So relaxing and dreamy!

I think of the serene beauty at the Dar el Bacha Museum of The Three Confluences, whose fascinating exhibits showed me the similarities between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism…

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Dar el Basha Museum of the Three Confluences

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Just look at those beautiful carvings above a door into one of Dar el Basha Museum’s exhibit rooms!

I think our lazy, hazy lunch on the rooftop of El Fenn…and the views

Breakfast © Kasia Gatkowska (1)

(photo courtesy of El Fenn)

FOODb ©David Loftus

(photo courtesy of El Fenn)

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The Atlas Mountains as seen from a wedding table on El Fenn’s rooftop

I think of the shockingly wonderful color combinations at Yves St. Laurent’s Jardin Majorelle

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The Jardin Majorelle complex includes a small jewel of a museum dedicated to Berber costumes and jewelry.

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The Jardin Majorelle was designed by painter Jacques Majorelle, son of famous art nouveau furniture designer Louis Majorelle. YSL bought Jardin Majorelle after Jacques’ death.

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window at Jardin Majorelle

And I will never forget the excellent people-watching at the intimate and sophisticated cocktail lounge at the Royal Mansour, a fabulously upscale hotel built by the king to show off Morocco’s artisans in the most tasteful way. Click here for the story. I saw Middle Eastern women in long, flowing dresses with smashing big jewelry as pretty as the tiles of Morocco.

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Now, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty….

See the Sights

Founded in 1059, Marrakech has many sights to see!

  • From Town & Country…the famed sites:
    • Jemaa el-Fna, the old market square anchored by the…
    • “the elegant minaret of the 12th century Koutoubia mosque, prototype of La Giralda in Seville (“In those days Morocco was more important than Spain,” he said);
    • the splendid 15th-century Ben Yousseff Medersa (Rue Assouel), or Islamic theological school, which has 132 upstairs rooms where students once lived and labored (the complex is now a museum) and at whose entrance is the inscription, “You who enter my door, may your highest hopes be exceeded.”
    • “be sure to visit often the Berber Museum in Marrakech’s Jardin Majorelle. (The garden, now public, was designed by French artist Jacques Majorelle and later owned and tended by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé.) Berber tribes…are renowned for their finery. But nothing prepares you for the magnificence and grandeur of their jewelry and clothing as collected and displayed in this little museum Bergé founded as an homage to Berber culture in 2011, after YSL’s 2008 death.” (Thank you, Town & Country!)
  • Saadian Tombs (aka, Tombeaux Saadiens) gorgeously carved & tiled 16th century tombs located by the Kasbah Mosque
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Even the tombs are tiled in Morocco!

  • Palais el Badi —  ruins of royal 16th century palace (Elle Decor), near the Saadian Tombs
  • Bahia Palace — “the opulent late 19th-century residence of a slave turned vizier, with beautifully tiled unfurnished rooms and painted wood ceilings” (Elle Decor)
  • Jardin Agdal — “a massive garden of pools, channels, and fruit orchards, near the Palais Royal but south of the medina” (Elle Decor); 12th century; UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Jardin Menara — “acres of olive groves surround a small 1866 pavilion overlooking a vast reflecting pool, southwest of the medina” (Elle Decor); UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • “where Patrick Manac’h, a sophisticated Oxford-educated collector, opened the Maison de la Photographie, the city’s first photography gallery, dedicated specifically to black-and-white images of North Africa (Rue Ahl Fes),”  per Departures, 2016.  The Telegraph (2017) also likes this. I went here and liked it. It is small with evocative photos.
  • Guéliz, a modern district just northwest of the medina, which was built by the architect Henri Prost in the early 20th century, during the period of the French protectorate. Its wide avenues, Art Deco architecture, and buzzing sidewalk cafés are a welcome foil to the narrow alleyways that make up the medina. Guéliz is also home to some of the city’s most interesting galleries, including Galerie 127, which showcases Morocco’s emerging photography talents, and David Bloch Gallery.” (Elle Décor, 2012)
  • “About 20 minutes north of Guéliz is the cobbled-together factory district of Sidi Ghanem, also called the Quartier Industriel. Driving by the battered, nondescript facades, you’d never guess that this is where some of the city’s most innovative artisans are at work. French designer Laurence Landon, for instance, offers his one-of-a-kind Art Deco-style mirrors and lamps…” (Elle Décor, 2012)

  • This doesn’t sound good: “…10 golf courses around its Ville Nouvelle, the modern, Europeanized district established by the French when Morocco became a protectorate, in 1912. It also had a water park with waves, called the Oasira, and in the past decade the access roads to the medina, or old city, have been sprouting sprawling ‘palace’ hotels.” (from Town & Country)
  • Boucharouite Museum – rugs made by Berber women, reminiscent of Rothko and Kandinsky (Elle Decor, 2015)
  • Museum of African Contemporary Art — (aka, MACAAL) a family’s collection, referenced in artnet News article, 2018; also recommended by NYT, 2017, which said, “splashy new Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (Macaal). The center is the latest cultural offering at Al Maaden golf resort, whose course already showcases large-scale outdoor sculptures by international artists”
  • Dar Si Said Museum (aka, Museum of Moroccan Arts) — “breathtaking Moroccan jewelry, woodwork, cedar furniture, and traditional wedding chairs” (Elle Decor)
  • Guide: I highly recommend Mr. Ira Jarna, recommended to us by La Mamounia. A Berber who was raised in Marrakech, Ira is educated, charming, and good-looking. Perfect! Gwyneth Paltrow was one of his clients.
  • Field trip: “venture to the High Atlas Mountains, which begin just 45 minutes outside Marrakech…” (Architectural Digest, 2018)

Shopping

The two most beautiful things I saw to buy in Marrakech are rugs and exotic brass lamps, cut into lace-like patterns that throw beautiful shadows on the walls.

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I covet these lamps! Look for them in the medina.

rug shopping

Les Nomades de Marrakech (Zaouiat Lahder No. 40) is the rug store to seek out in the medina because they don’t haggle. This is a huge relief, if you don’t like to negotiate prices. The most they will reduce their prices is 10-15%.

  • In the medina
    • “The Pajama Shop (in Souk Semmarine Rbaiya No. 18) “Ignore the slightly brighter-colored, commercial pieces at the front of the store and ask owner Sirari Mustapha to show you the ‘plus simple’ children’s and adult’s pajamas in ultra-fine white, gray, or cream cotton. They are just as fabulous for wafting around the pool as for sleeping in. At around $20 per pair, I always bulk buy.”  (Vogue, 2017) no website
    • Topolina (two locations = 436 Z.I. Sidi Ghanem & 134 Dar El Bacha, in the medina)A charming little clothing boutique near the entrance to the souk. Every piece is in a different print, often in wonderful silks and cottons, and cut in circular or square shapes for wonderful volume and swing. The printed turbans are divine, per Vogue, 2017. Travel+Leisure, 2017, & Black Tomato/goop.com also recommend it; no website
    • Tresor des Nomads (144 Rue Bab Doukkala) recommended by Town & Country, 2016; famous home decorating store filled with Moroccan treasures, owned by Mustapha Blaoui
    • Mustapha Blaoui “The quintessential Aladdin’s cave of souk treasures–rugs, lanterns, furniture, and objets.” (Elle Decor, 2015, & Tory Burch, 2018 & Black Tomato/goop.com)
    • A few steps from Mustapha Blaoui is Darkawa, recommended by the NYTimes, 2018, for home textiles; located in the medina, between Dar Bacha and Bab Doukkala, at Arset Aouzal 170
    • Riad Yima  – “A boutique, art gallery, tea room … all at once and in the heart of the medina, a few steps away from Dar Kawa,” per Darkawa owner. NYT, 2017, also recommended it, saying, “a funky and flamboyant cafe-boutique-gallery where every surface pops with radiant hues and crazy geometric patterns. The space was founded by the photographer Hassan Hajjaj, whose color-soaked street portraits of Moroccan dandies and fashionistas line the walls”
    • Popham Design Cement Tiles – recommended by Darkawa owner; located in the medina at Kaat Benahid, Derb Ouali, 18
    • Chabi Chic –  (1 Derb Arjan, Place des Epices, under restaurant Nomad in the medina; & at the Hotel Beldi Country Club, Route du Barrage) “new homewares line…offers a fresh take on traditional Moroccan tableware with stylish patterns and colors,” per Elle Decor, 2015. Travel+Leisure, 2017, & NYT, 2017, also recommend it.
    • “A design district is emerging at Souk Chérifia, courtesy of boutiques like Khmissa, which channels the spirit of the jet-setter Talitha Getty through psychedelic caftans, slippers and accessories with a 1960s feel.” (per NYT, 2017)
  • In Gueliz,
    • shop Studio Lalla (5 rue de Liberte) for boho handbags and jewelry, recommended by Travel+Leisure, 2017, & Elle Decor, 2015
    • Rue Majorelle (“How to Spend It”, 2016) “Our store is the antithesis of the crowded souk,” says Monique Bresson, who with Yehia Abdelnour runs 33 Rue Majorelle in the flourishing Guéliz district of Marrakech. This delightful two-storey space fuses the made-by-hand skills of the medina with the chic, calm aura of Paris boutiques such as Colette and Merci. “We specialise in modern takes on classic Moroccan crafts,” says Abdelnour of the wares by over 90 different artisans – from ceramics and paintings to design-led fashion and beauty products. “Under one roof you’ll find all the vibrant talents that exist in Morocco today, ” The Telegraph (2017) also likes this. Travel+Leisure described it as “a well-edited mini-souk”
    • Anitan – “Savvy carpet shoppers skip the souks in favour of this minimalist atelier adjacent to the Jardin Majorelle where owner Faïza Lahlou has already done a thorough first edit. Upstairs, hammam towels get a neutral hued makeover while Rif tribal ceramics are fantastically lacquered in the full colour wheel,” per Departures, 2016.
    • Maison Artc Fashion (street Mohamed El Bequal, 96 Residence Kelly) these “theatrical designs–ornately embroidered tunics, coats reworked from vintage Berber carpets–have been shown at Paris couture week…prices are steep” (Travel+Leisure, 2017, & Black Tomato/goop.com)
    • “Then wander down Rue des Vieux Marrakchis and Rue de la Rue de la Liberté, where you’ll find fashion-forward trends in Moor (7 rue des Anciens Marrakchis)
    • and candy-coloured loafers in Atika.” (The Telegraph, 2017) I want these!
    • Lalla (35 Boulevard El Mansour Eddahbi) for “fab bags & accessories” (Elle Decor, 2015)
    • Some Slow Concept Store (76 Boulevard Mansour Edhabi) – “A freshly opened villa-boutique dedicated to modernMoroccan craftsmanshop set in a rose-colored 1930’s building,” per Tory Burch, 2018. no website
    • Ben Rahal (28 Rue de la Liberte) “My favorite rug shop in Marrakesh is in the new part of the city.  It’s on the pricey side, but has a truly beautiful selection.  This is where I take my clients—celebrities as well as folks like me—who value quality over quantity and just want one or two really fabulous Moroccan carpets.” (Travel+Leisure 2014)
    • Maroc’n Roll 1432 – “Down a dodgy, snaking lane in the city’s modern Guéliz district, Yves Saint Laurent protégé Robert Merloz teams up with Fez tanners, Berber embroiderers and Middle Atlas carpet weavers to turn out rocker-chic zelig-patterned clutches, silver-studded black-leather babouches and desert-style tunics recast in diaphanous fabric with delicate tribal motifs,” per Departures, 2016. The FT’s How to Spend It (2016) & CNTraveler also like this.
    • Rue de Yougoslavie (recommended by NYT, 2017)
      • Cmooa (Compagnie Marocaine des Oeuvres et Objets d’Art) is an art space that houses…
        •  Macma (Musée d’Art et de Culture de Marrakech)
  • “Where the Medina specializes in artisan crafts, the Ville Nouvelle (new town) prefers to showcase the work of a new generation of Marrakshi artists in contemporary galleries such as
  • Soufiane Zarib (16 Riad La Rous, Dar El Bacha) — “Carpets are everywhere in Marrakech, but the selection here is extra inspiring. It has two spaces, one next to the Yves Saint Laurent museum, and one in the medina,” per Tory Burch, 2018

Eat, Drink & Be Merry!

  • Mimi’s Travel File’s three favorite restaurants in Marrakech were:
    • Al-Fassia — a women-owned, run and staffed restaurant in the new part of Marrakech whose decor is 1940’s Morrocan (made me want to elegantly light up a cigarette and order a Manhattan), whose service and food are very good, and whose prices are surprisingly reasonable.
    • El Fenn‘s swank rooftop bar and restaurant for local wine…and a breathtaking view.” (Town & Country, 2014) Loved this!
    • La Maison Arabe — lunch atop La Maison Arabe after our FUN FUN FUN cooking class there. Do it!
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La Maison Arabe’s cooking class: They gave each of us a tagine as a party favor!

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After we had finished our cooking class, La Maison Arabe’s staff served our culinary masterpieces to us on their peaceful rooftop with views of the medina.

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The beautifully clad man provided subtle, transporting musical accompaniment to our lunch at La Maison Arabe.

You will not starve in Marrakech. Just look at all of the recommendations I dug up in Mimi’s Travel File…

  • From Departures magazine (Departures has excellent taste), 2016
    • “the new Salt-Marrakech (108 Rue de la Bahia; 21-25/2438-2740; salt-marrakech.com), which brings guest chefs from around the world to cook for a few weeks in a very lovely, otherwise very traditional riad; and
    • Kanoun (BP 67, Asni; 21-25/2436-8200; virginlimitededition.com), in the beautiful 11-year-old Kasbah Tamadot, which is owned by Richard Branson and is an hour’s drive from the center of town
    • Nomad, in the  spice market, rooftop tables with views of  the walled city (Conde Nast Traveler, 2017, Forbes, 2017 & Travel+Leisure, 2014, & Black Tomato/goop.com say, “two gorgeous terraces, traditional Moroccan food with a modern take;” La Mamounia recommends it as a good place to eat in the medina)
  • Beldi Country Club – “splendid outdoor dining room, encircled by rose bushes” (Elle Decor, 2015)
  • Fellah Hotel — “worth at least a meal is the sparsely elegant, adobelike Fellah Hotel, nine miles outside the city on the  road to the High Atlas. Part Berber farm, part community outreach program, part artist colony, part spa resort with a glamorous pool…it is a fascinating combination of ethics, aesthetics, and hospitality,” per Town & Country, 2015. Departures, 2014, also recommended it.
  • Le Jardin — “While you are at Le Jardin, don’t miss the Norya Ahron Boutique, located on the first floor,” recommended by Darkawa owner, 2018; lush garden patio, near Darkawa, in the medina (32 Souk Sidi Abdelaziz, medina); Black Tomato/goop.com & La Mamounia like this, too
  • Terraces des Epices – rooftop terrace, lively, good for drinks, French-influenced food, per Black Tomato/goop.com; La Mamounia & Forbes, 2017, also recommend it; location is Sidi Abdel Aziz, 15 souk cherifia
  • Yacout – recommended by Black Tomato/goop.com. While the decor is beautiful and very “Arabian Nights,” I thought the food was mediocre.
  • L’ibzar –  in Gueliz, recommended by NYT, 2017; La Mamounia recommends it, too
  • “A night out in Gueliz can take you down the bourgeois or bohemian path. For the former, join the stylish young professional Moroccans who fill the couches at Pointbar, a dimly lighted and laid-back lounge with D.J.-spun mainstream house, soul and R&B tunes.”   recommended by NYT, 2017
  • “For a bohemian vibe, pack into Le 68, a cozy and convivial cubbyhole bar where Moroccans and European expats from the arty-intellectual set soak up wines from an extensive menu of French and local vintages by the glass.” recommended by NYT, 2017
  • “on the lush grounds of the Dar Rhizlane hotel are angular, airy and lined with glass walls. And, like greenhouses, they bloom with exotic and fragrant specimens — in this case from the genus of neo-North African haute cuisine,” per NYT, 2017
  • Jnane Tamsna – “If you’re staying in the Medina, there will be a moment when you need some peace and tranquility away from all the hustle and bustle. Situated in the middle of the Palmerie area — think of the Beverly Hills of Marrakech– Jnine Tamsna is an oasis, 20 minute drive north of the Medina. The area is filled with mega mansions belonging to uber-rich owners who range from Saudi royals to Italian football stars. Jnane Tamsna, however, exudes understated and natural charm. It’s run by a French-educated hotelier, designer and art collector Meryanne Loum-Martin and her ethno-botanist husband Gary Martin.” (Forbes, 2017)Book a table by the swimming pool under the olive trees for the Mediterranean-Moroccan inspired daily menu.
  • Tory Burch (2018) recommends…
    • Restaurant La Famille (42 Rue Riad Zitoun el Jdid) – “vegetarian food here mixes Moroccan and Italian influences and is served in a peaceful garden hidden in the Medina.”
    • Le Jardin Secret (121 Rue Mouassine) “This private palace and its botanical garden have just been renovated and opened to the public last year. It’s a beautiful haven…” (also recommended by the NYT, 2017)
    • Restaurant Le Grand Cafe de la Poste (Avenue Imam Malik) – “A not-to-be-missed institution in the modern neighborhood of Gueliz. The decor is somewhere between Paris and Morocco and so is the food…” (Forbes & La Mamounia like it, too.) Mimi’s Travel File thought this was not worth the trip, as it was a weak imitation of a Parisian bistro with wan references to Morocco.
  • Cocktails: The absolute best ambience at…
    • The Royal Mansour’s cocktail lounges
    • La Mamounia’s Majorelle Gallery provides a view through its huge open doors onto its terrace and big, lush gardens

Hotels

  • La Maison Arabe (Andrew Harper)
  • Amanjena (Andrew Harper)
  • Riad Orangeraie (Andrew Harper)
  • Jasper Conran’s new L’Hotel in the medina (Vogue & Conde Nast Traveler, 2017)
  • Richard Branson’s sister “bought a riad after her first visit in 2001 and eventually turned it into the cozy-chic boutique hotel Riad El Fenn” (Elle Décor, 2012; Town & Country, 2014) “swank rooftop bar”; Conde Nast Traveler, 2017, said, “If your idea of Marrakech is waking  call to prayer echoing from the Koutoubia Mosque and sipping mint tea in the square, then an Old City riad turned hotel is the way to go, and Vanessa Branson’s El Fenn is the best in the category.”
Extra Large room (1) © Kasia Gatkowska

(photo courtesy of El Fenn)

  • Mandarin Oriental (Departures magazine, 2016; The Telegraph, 2017; Architectural Digest, 2016; Conde Nast Traveler, 2017) 54 villas 20 minutes’ drive from the medina, “gorgeous garden, ” per The Telegraph
  • Riad Joya (Town & Country, 2015) 7 suites, rooftop restaurant with excellent food, in the medina
  • La Mamounia (Town & Country, 2015) Conde Nast Traveler, 2017, says La Mamounia is “one big fabulous spectacle.” While I don’t usually like large hotels, I stayed here for six nights and loved it.
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(photo courtesy of La Mamounia)

  • The Royal Mansour (Town & Country, 2015) 53 stand-alone riads; CNTraveler, 2017, says, “you’ll play out a modern One Thousand and One Nights fantasy in a private riad with our own rooftop terrace and hammam.” This is a very impressive and pretty place.
  • Villa des Orangers (Town & Country, 2015) 27 rooms; Two of my friends went here for hamams and said it’s very pretty.
  • La Sultana in Marrakech. It’s in the heart of the medina and is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Not to mention smelled—they cut hundreds of fresh roses there everyday, and the fragrance is intoxicating,” per AD 2016 article. Town & Country, 2015, also recommended it. 5 riads combined to form a 28 room hotel
  • Es Saadi (Conde Nast Traveler, 2017)
  • Riad Dar Kawa (Tory Burch, 2018)

When  to Visit: “Spring (March-April) and fall (October-November) are the ideal seasons for a visit,” advises travel aficionado Andrew Harper.

Tip: “Make sure to carry small dominations of the Dirham; there are many places to leave a small (coin) tip.” (good advice from our friend, Andrew Harper)

Another Tip: “ Joel Zack of Heritage Tours Private Travel. He has deep insider knowledge of the country (having lived there), excellent local contacts, and terrific guides. Tell him your interests— sightseeing? Shopping? Hiking? Mountain biking? Spa time?—and Heritage will craft the itinerary right for you (info@htprivatetravel.com, 800-378-4555″ (from Town & Country magazine)

What to Pack: While Morocco is the most liberal of northern Africa’s Muslim countries, it is still Muslim. Advise you pack accordingly, i.e., don’t flaunt skin (leave mini-skirts and strapless dresses and shorts at home). In the medina, the little roads are mostly dirt and often dirty, so don’t wear high heels or pants that will drag on the  floor.

DVD Traveling Companion: Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much”

If I had had a couple of more days…

  • Skoura — Dar Ahlam, 14 suites, has it all: luxury, top-notch service, simplicity (you’re in the midst of a working oasis farm), a superb chef, and a rich menu of culturally immersive activities tailored to your interests and included in the price. A night at its desert encampment, Dar Ahlam Nomad, is an add-on—but absolutely worth it. For more information on Dar Ahlam, see “Taking You Higher,” in the March issue of Town & Country (maisondesreves.com).” (per T&C, 2015 & How to Spend It, 2015)
  • Scarabeo Stone Camp — (Travel + Leisure, 2013) less than an hour’s drive from Marrakech
  • Essouiria: “The other blue-infused city, though not in as obvious a way, is Essaouira, a couple of hours from Marrakech on the sea. The fishing village with strong trade winds—a favorite of windsurfers—charms just about everyone who walks inside its walls containing narrow yet vividly adorned cobalt-trimmed alleyways, camel-studded beaches, excellent (and less haggle-riddled) shopping, and food. La Table by Madada has the best Moroccan cuisine in town, while expats who fell in love with Essaouira have opened impeccable French (Umia) and Italian (Silvestro) spots in the vicinity. Where the shop owners in Marrakech are aggressive, sometimes abrasive, here they’re exceedingly mellow, perhaps softened by the sea air. Berber rugs and excessive amounts of vintage jewelry can be found, thanks to many selling wares retrieved from the desert and mountains” (AD 2018)

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Morocco: Fez Fabulousness

The first building I entered in Morocco was my hotel in Fez. Right away, I knew I was not in Kansas anymore!

Entrance
entrance to Palais Faraj hotel
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Palais Faraj hotel’s courtyard

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This door at Palais Faraj shows off Morocco’s decorative arts in one fell swoop: painted and carved wood, tiles in many patterns, lace-like plaster work…a rich and happy visual heritage that is centuries old.

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This is Fez’s medina, founded in the 9th (!!!) century, as seen from the rooftop terrace of the Palais Faraj.

Now let’s go into the medina…

Fez’s medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site…all 540 acres of it! Hold onto your hats because wandering around the medina is fascinating and fun. Here you will see the major cultural sites of Fez, observe its medieval lifestyle, and see the exotic wares for sale in its little shops.

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Men in djellabas (long robes with pointed hoods) are ubiquitous, not to mention evocative! Djellabas are long coats, worn over clothes: made of wool in winter and cotton for summer.

See the Sites in the Medina

  •  Al Qaraouyine (aka, Karaouinne), is a Koranic college founded in 859, the oldest continuously operating university in the world!
  • Al-Attarine Madrasa (Koranic school) founded in 1325 (adjacent to Al Qaraouyine)
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Note Al-Attarine Madrasa’s gorgeous tiles, woodwork, and carved plaster!  (photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

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Bou Inania Madrasa

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architectural detail at Bou Inania

  • Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts “housed in a beautifully restored caravanserai, a rooming house for traveling merchants.” (Financial Times) This multi-tiered, wood-paneled caravanserai was built in the 14th century.
  • Batha Museum of artisan objects (peaceful garden, pretty carved and painted doors, pottery, etc. with interesting history)
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Our guide, leading us through the medina: Every few hours when the call to prayer was broadcast, he would duck into a mosque to pray for 10 minutes.

A Note about Tour Guides: While I prefer not to be herded around by a guide, I highly recommend hiring one to navigate Fez’s medina because (1) you will most definitely get lost otherwise (2) the merchants will leave you alone (3) our guide, Mohamed,  advised us how much to pay while haggling with various merchants. Hire a guide:

  • Through your hotel. That’s how we got our excellent guide, Mohamed.
  • Hire Mohamed directly (Cell: 0661 2524 88 or mohamedalami410@gmail.com)
  • “…sign on to a savvy local tour: the four-hour “Hidden Fez” offered by Plan-it-Morocco, a travel company run by two women — English and Australian — who live here and know the city inside and out. The tours, usually led by Moroccans, visit the city’s exquisite private palaces, enchanting hidden gardens, spaces where weavers work hand looms, the odoriferous tannery quarter and other places you would probably never find or gain access to on your own. The tour requires a minimum of two visitors and costs 1,600 dirhams. More information is available at plan-it-morocco.com.” (NYTimes, 2017)
  • “there is nothing like a tailor-made tour from Fez-based New Zealand novelist Sandy McCutcheon, a contributor to The View from Fez blog (riadzany.blogspot.com), one of the most useful resources on the city, or his colleague Helen Ranger to give you the inside track on Fez, while showing you the best places to buy Berber rugs and the rest of Fez’s traditional crafts.” (“How to Spend It,” 2011)

TIP: “Many maps of the medina are either poor or incorrect (plan de Fez is the exception),” according to The Ruined Garden restaurant in Fez medina

TIP: “Most of the souks and cafes in the Fez medina are closed on Friday” (NYTimes 2017)

Shopping in the Medina

The things to buy are leather and suede (made by tanneries in the medina), pottery and tiles, carved & inlaid wood, Berber rugs, and metal lamps cut in lace-like patterns. Argan oil is big, too.

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Poterie de Fez

  • Poterie de Fez (Quartier de Poterie, 32 Ain Nokbi Route Sidi Hrazem) — Love this place because they showed us how tiles are made, how tile designs are laid into place, and how pottery is painted. They can make anything your little heart desires.
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artisan at Poterie de Fes

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Got to have this sink from Poterie de Fez!

  • Terrasse de Tannerie, El Haj Ali Baba (no. 10 Hay Lblida Chouara) for a huge array of leather and the softest suede clothes, purses, wallets, belts…plus the proprietor offers an interesting explanation of the tanning process, complete with views from its terrace of the dying vats in the square below.
  • Au Coin du Bois (20, Derb El Hammam, Guerniz) for gorgeous carved and inlaid wooden items
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Au Coin du Bois: This soaring courtyard is typical of Fez’s palace architecture. Today, the palaces are used as riads (small hotels), elegant shops, and private homes.

  • Talisman Art Gallery (No. 150 Sidi Moussa Guerniz) for many beautifully sophisticated antiques like this chest, for which my husband is still longing…
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bureau of inlaid mother of pearl and camel bone from Talisman Art Gallery

In addition to these beautiful things are others, exotic and intriguing. For example…

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Yep, that’s a real camel’s head hanging in front of this butcher’s stall. I was not tempted. I don’t think this woman is interested, either…although they do have similar profiles!

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The local Coke distributor: While walking through the medina, we had to step aside numerous times for donkey-drawn carts to pass. The streets are too narrow for cars.

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A realtor’s display: Not exactly like the glossy photos of houses in our realtors’ windows!

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We saw numerous little stores like this. Can you guess what these are??? Portable thrones for carrying a bride about on some poor men’s shoulders. Who wouldn’t want to be queen for the day?!

Sights Outside of the Medina

  • Royal Palace – While you can’t go inside, this is fun to see. It is one of the king’s 45 palaces.
  • “an afternoon stroll takes you past the swarming Bab Bou Jeloud gate and into the Jnan Sbil gardens, recently reopened and a delicious respite from the city’s pressure-cooker heat…,” per How to Spend It. We recently visited this and while it’s not world-class, it is a nice, open green garden that one can walk through in 15 minutes.
  • “While the Ville Nouvelle, the administrative quarter invented by the colonial French, has wide avenues lined with Jacaranda trees, shiny modern cafeterias, office blocks and ATMs, the soul of the city resides in that gigantic medina” (How to Spend It)

Day Trips

  • Field trip: “From there (Fez), a three-hour drive gets you to Chefchaouen, the famed Blue City that is even more dreamy in reality than in photographs. Imagine if there was fresh snowfall in Santorini, in every shade of periwinkle, indigo, sky, and powder blue. There, you can almost feel sustained off the visual stimulation without food, but when hunger sets in the best (casual) meal can be had at Bab Ssour, while prime views of the stacked blue city are had from the top of Lina Ryad, the prettiest riad in town.” (Architectural Digest, 2018) My friend, who went to Chefchaouen this month, says there’s not that much to do here so recommends one night only.
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on the road from Fez to Volubilis

  • Field trip #2: See the beautifully preserved Roman ruins at Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site…Easy day trip from Fez (1+ hours drive) and fun to drive through the countryside, which is covered with acres of olive and fruit trees.
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Volubilis

  • To be Combined with Volubilis: One hour’s drive from Volubilis is the 17th century capital of Meknes, one of Morocco’s four imperial cities & a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the FT recommends seeing the mausoleum of Sultan Moulay Ismail, Bab Mansour gateway, the ruins of the Sultan’s stables (built to accommodate 12,000 horses!), the Granaries, the Dar Jamai Museum (19th cent. palace) w/collection of ceramics, jewelry, and textiles; nearby is the holy city of Moulay Idriss. The drive back to Fez takes about an hour.
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one of 20 gates interspersed among Meknes’ 40 km. of walls around the city

I recommend our driver, Karim Khalil, of Transport Touristique VIP (karim2011khalil@gmail.com). Our hotel, Palais Faraj, arranged for him to drive us from Fez to Volubilis to Meknes and back, which was a great day.

Let’s Eat!

Cocktails & Restaurants

When you make dinner reservations in the medina,  the restaurant asks “with or without a porter?” Take the porter. Otherwise, you will be fruitlessly wandering the medina, hungry and confused!

  • “…it’s an adventure in itself to venture—with a porter to guide you—into the medina after dark to savor the six-course prix fixe menus at Nur, open in September for its second “season” of fine modern-Moroccan-with-a-Mexican-twist cuisine, made from ingredients purchased each morning in the market and formed into innovative dishes later (they’re closed in summer),” per Architectural Digest, 2018). CNTraveler (2017), Wall Street Journal (2017) & NYTimes (2017) also recommend Nur, as does Mimi’s Travel File. The decor is modern, elegant medina.
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Our best meal in Morocco was at Nur. This is an aerial view. The restaurant has extremely high ceilings and is small. Stylish and deelish!

  • “The candlelit tiled courtyard of the five-room riad hotel Dar Roumana (House of the Pomegranate) offers a romantic setting in which to discover the excellent cooking of Younes Idrissi. The changing prix fixe menus are inspired by the French and Moroccan kitchens.” (NYTimes, 2017) Mimi’s Travel File can attest to the food and romantic ambiance of this traditionally beautiful riad in the medina.
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Dar Roumana is a beautiful riad with good food in an elegant setting.

  • “The casual Café Fez, in a walled, lushly planted garden, is run by the renowned French antiques dealer Michel Biehn…Reasonably priced, friendly and serving fresh, inventive Franco-Moroccan cooking, this place is especially popular with local expats.” (NYTimes 2017) Mimi’s Travel File recommends CF (it’s fun!), as does CN Traveler, 2017.
  • Eden, the restaurant in the Palais Amani, was recommended by CN Traveler, 2017. If you would like a break from traditional Moroccan decor, this modern, white and pretty (slightly cold in feel) restaurant is a good get. I liked the bar at Palais Amani.
  • The Ruined Garden, in Riad Idrissy, was recommended by CN Traveler, 2017
  • Cafe Clock  was suggested by Travel +Leisure, 2015

Hotels

  • Palais Amani (Andrew HarperNew York Times, 2017 & Mr. and Mrs. Smith recommend this; Mimi’s Travel File visited it and thought it attractive)
  • Palais Faraj (Abercrombie & Kent, 2016 and Travel+Leisure 2015) – highly recommend! We stayed here for a week last month and loved the decor, location and nice staff. PF is built up against the medina, on the outside the wall.
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Palais Faraj bedroom: note the Berber rugs on tiled floor, carved wood door frames and terrace

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fountain in Palais Faraj’s courtyard

  • Architectural Digest (2018) said: “It should be required to stay at a riad (the Moroccan term for a house with gardens) inside the medina, many of which have been lovingly restored into intimate boutique hotels. There are handfuls of particularly pristine and transportive ones to choose from, including
    • the Relais & Chateaux property Riad Fes, with its peaceful pool and incredibly chic wine bar, and (Departures, 2016 likes this, too)
    • Palais Amani, the regally outfitted 17th-century bolt-hole of stained glass and Technicolor tile work whose ceilings are sky-high and whose rooftop is being transformed for open-air cooking classes and dining.
    • Karawan Riad opened two years ago after a painstaking ten-year restoration and renovation that comprises intricate moucharaby paneling and a lounge wallpapered with rich red rugs. (T+L, 2015, also recommended it) A friend of mine stayed here this month, loved it & said, “It’s gorgeous!”
    • The food at all these riads is mouth-watering…”
  • “Overlooking the medina, the 50-room Sahrai became Fez’s first real boutique hotel when it opened in 2014. Using rich local materials like biscuit-colored Taza stone and custom-made décor like copper-framed lanterns, the Parisian designer Christophe Pillet coined a new decorative idiom of contemporary Moroccan chic that has made this stylish establishment a favorite of the local beau monde. Join this cosmopolitan crowd for cocktails either in the curtained open-air gallery near the bar or in the rooftop bar overlooking the city.” (NYTimes, 2017) Travel+Leisure (2016) also recommended it.

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BTW, while many Moroccans speak English, more speak French, and all speak Arabic or Berber. How’s your Berber?

Bon voyage!

Amalfi Coast, Mi Amore

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(photo courtesy of Getty Images)

The Amalfi Coast is a UNESCO World Heritage sight for many reasons…mountains shooting up out of the deep, blue sea; pastel villages on the two-lane road that hugs the mountains along the water; long, languorous, al fresco lunches of fish just-plucked from the sea; lemon groves; medieval villages rich in history; colorful ceramics galore; water gazing and big, bright views. Let’s go!

Stay

BOOK NOW: “By March, the best hotels start to sell out.” (I can personally vouch for this great advice from Andrew Harper)

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Il San Pietro di Positano: Definitely go for a drink on one of the world’s more beautiful terraces!

  • Il San Pietro and Le Sirenuse hotels are the two grandes dames of the Amalfi Coast, and both are in Positano. While Positano is crowded, these hotels are glorious.
    • Il San Pietro di Positano   Il San Pietro sits by itself just outside of Positano, clinging to a cliff overlooking the sea.  Decor is classic Italian. Definitely go for a drink on this spectacular terrace, as I did. This uber-glamorous hotel is recommended by Vogue and Andrew Harper, although you will probably run into a lot of Americans.
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Il San Pietro di Positano

  • Positano
    • Le Sirenuse (recommended by Andrew Harper, the NYTimes, goop.com & me) is super glam, with a lemon tree scented terrace overlooking the deep, blue sea; you will run into lots of Americans here. Decor is old world Italian. An extremely well-traveled and good friend of mine recently stayed at Le Sirenuse and loved it! Read the Sirenuse Journal on their website for excellent tips on the Amalfi Coast. (58 rooms and suites)
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Le Sirenuse

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Le Sirenuse’ beautiful dining room overlooking the water

  • also in Positano
    • Villa Treville looks beautiful and stylishly decorated. No wonder Gwyneth Paltrow (see her goop.com) recommended it! This is your place if you are afraid of heights because it is not as high up as some of the other hotels.
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Villa Treville

  • in Ravello (relaxed pace, less crowded than Amalfi & Positano)
    • Belmond Hotel Caruso , former 11th century palace recommended by impeccable sources: Town & Country, Vogue, Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop.com, and Andrew Harper
    • Palazzo Avino (formerly Palazzo Sasso) Travel aficionado Andrew Harper recommends this 33 room hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant in a former 12th century private villa
    • Villa Cimbrone Recommended by Elle Décor, Vogue & NY Times, the Villa Cimbrone is noted for its beautiful gardens
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Villa Cimbrone

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Villa Cimbrone

  • In Conca dei Marini (not crowded)
    • Monastero Santa Rosa (recommended by the NY Times, Town & Country, Bazaar, How to Spend It, & Vogue–pretty impressive!) — This is the place to stay if you want to get away from the crowds in Positano and Amalfi. This former 17th century monastery, whose decor is not overly sophisticated, is in a tiny town with a charming little church, breathtaking views AND a great-looking Michelin-starred restaurant. I think it would be a peaceful, beautiful experience. (20 rooms and suites)
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Monastero Santa Rosa – a former monastery – reminds me of those monasteries sitting atop cliffs in Tibet – but with waaaay more services

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Pretty hard to beat this view from Monastero Santa Rosa’s pool!

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Oh, waiter! I’d like a Limoncello mojito, por favore. (photo courtesy of Monastero Santa Rosa)

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Let’s order lemon risotto for lunch! (photo courtesy of Casa Angelina)

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Casa Angelina’s jr. suite terrace

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Take an elevator down through the cliffs (so cool!) to sit on Casa Angelina’s beach.

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Il Refettorio — This has to be the most fun Michelin-starred restaurant in the world. Nothing stuffy here!

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Il Pirata

In an excellent article in Food & Wine, Mario Batali recommends:

  • in hard-to-find Massa Lubrense, La Scoglio, Taverna del Capitano, and Quattro Passi
  • La Tagliate in Montepertuso – “
I love this town dearly as a relief from the chichi beach and Armani crowd,” said Mario Battali in Food & Wine.Vogue likes it, too!
  • in Positano, Il Capitano (“high above the sea”), Chez Black (“right on the water” & Vogue magazine also likes Chez Black), and “the restaurant in Le Sirenuse is quite tasty.”
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(photo courtesy of Le Sirenuse

 

da Adolfo, “a hippie spot” on Laurito Beach where Carla Sersale, who runs Emporio, the boutique at her family’s hotel (the fab Le Sirenuse), spends some of her time off, according to an interview in Veranda Magazine. Click here for details. This place looks like so much fun! The Financial Times‘ excellent “How to Spend It” magazine also recommended it, as do goop.com and Vogue magazine.

See the Sights

Drive the Drive: The drive from Vietri to Positano along the Amalfi Coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That’s how spectacular it is!!! While nerve-wracking at times, you MUST do the  drive as it is gorgeous. We had to back up on this narrow, two-lane road with STEEP drop-off to make room for a truck; take your time!).

Village Hop along the Way: For a great article by Elle Decor on which towns to visit along the Amalfi Coast, click here

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(photo courtesy of Casa Angelina)

Boat the Coast: For a  different perspective, see the Amalfi Coast by boat! Take the Travelmar ferry to points along the coast

Hike for Views: An alternative way to take in the stunning sea views is suggested by the NYT: “For better views and less congestion, head to Bomerano, a mountaintop hamlet, to hike Il Sentiero degli Dei, or the Path of the Gods. As the name suggests, the up-in-the-clouds views are spectacular along this well-marked trail. Though not recommended for anyone prone to vertigo, it’s a relatively easy three-hour hike to the town of Nocelle, where hundreds of steps then lead down to the beach at Arienzo and a well-deserved dip in the sea.”

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(photo courtesy of Le Sirenuse)

See Amalfi’s Duomo’s façade of mosaics and striped arches and Chiostro del Paradiso, a 13th-century cloister

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(photo courtesy of Le Sirenuse)

 

BTW, have I mentioned that Positano and Amalfi are crowded?! The NYTimes  (“36 Hours on the Amalfi Coast” ), Vogue and/or Elle Décor (recommend seeking out these following charming smaller towns:

  • Cetara (medieval village, anchovy sauce)
  • Vietri sul Mare (ceramics, majolicas)
  • Praiano (click here to read the NYTimes‘ article on Praiano & click here to read Vogue‘s article)
  • Conca dei Marini
  • Maiori (has a sand beach, unlike most of the other AC beaches, which are all pebbles; Collegiate di Santa Maria a Mare)
  • Minori (Villa Marittima, a first-century Roman villa ruins)
  • Ravello (Click here to read Vogue‘s article on Ravello; Villa Cimbrone’s gardens; Villa Rufolo — the inspiration for the magic garden of Klingsor in Wagner’s “Parsifal;” Ravello Festival attracts world class music talent from July-September)
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Ravello Music Festival (photo courtesy of Le Sirenuse)

 

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(photo courtesy of Le Sirenuse)

Day trips

  • Pompeii is an easy day trip by train from Sorrento
  • Capri — Take a day-trip on a Riva speedboat

SHOP

Lucio Liguori, Via San Vito 49, Raito, 84019 Vietri sul Mare. Tel +39 339 310 7071. Studio visits on request.

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(photo courtesy of Le Sirenuse)

in Positano

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(photo courtesy of Emporio Le Sirenuse)

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(photo courtesy of Emporio Le Sirenuse)

For more shopping opp’s, see goop.com

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You  will see lots of beautiful tiles like this for sale in boutiques along the Amalfi Coast. (photo courtesy of Villa Treville)

When to Visit

Elle Décor recommends May-June and Sept-Oct, when the weather is slightly cooler.

My husband and I spent part of our  honeymoon on the Amalfi Coast 20 years ago, so I thought it would be the perfect location for a Valentine’s Day post.

Happy Valentine’s Day!