Marrakesh is the third largest city in Morocco after Casablanca and Rabat, and lies near the foothills of the snow capped Atlas Mountains, There is much to see and do in Marrakesh. An entire day can be dedicated to wandering around all the different souks, seeking out the best bargains. The city also offers several historical monuments and architectural sites as well as some interesting museums.
The city is divided into two distinct parts: the Medina, the historical city, and the new European modern district called Gueliz or Ville Nouvelle. The Medina is the old, historic district of the city. Walking through the narrow passageways full of local shops you will have a real atmosphere of past times. The past suddenly appears in the form of storytellers, street performers, snake charmers and magicians dispensing secret potions and medicines. The main square in the Medina is Djemaa El-Fna. At night the square really comes to life as people navigate toward the exotic aromas , the entertaining sights and exotic music . On south of the Djemaa El-Fna is Rue Bab Agnaou, it’s the entrance to the Kasbah district of the Medina. It is home to the Royal Palace, also the former El - Badi Palace and the Saadian Tombs. The Kasbah has its own little bazaars where you can buy almost anything, food stalls, restaurants, hotels and riads for travellers to enjoy.
A Riad is a old Moroccan little castle or big House with an internal courtyard. It a great place to stay and offer an intimate and relaxing retreat. The Medina is packed with Riads. they are very much in fashion these days, they have brought back an art of living . Windowless walls, in featureless side-streets conceal paradises to be discovered with over-growing wonder leafy patios , fountains , bird-songs, terraces where life is for the living and which offer stunning views of the medina and its minarets, and in the distance the snowy peaks of the Atlas mountains. These are wonderful places to stay to get a feel for life in Marrakesh.
Transport
To Marrakech you can get by :
Plane : Marrakech Menara airport receive daily sheduled direct flights from all europe
Bus: as any other Moroccan big city, Marrakech has a big bus station where operate many national companies such CTM or Supra Tours connecting the city to many other moroccan cities.
Train: Marrakech is the southern stop of the rail roads, there are trains to casablanca and rabat almost every 2 hours, and 2 to tanger one by day and one by night.
Eat and Drink
If you want to eat well in Marrakesh, do what the locals do and eat at the food stalls in the square. It is a common misconception that these stalls are here for the tourists. Actually, they have been in existence long before Marrakech became a tourist destination. All of the stalls can be regarded as perfectly safe to eat at. They are strictly licensed and controlled by the government, especially now as it is a popular destination for tourists. Each night in the Djemaa El-Fna rows of street stalls are set up under giant white tents. These huts serve similar fare and have menus printed in French, Arabic and usually English. The Moroccan restaurants can propose their customers Moroccan sea food and Mediterranean specialties. Everyone has tajine, couscous, brochette and some variety of soups. Some have specialties like offal, egg sandwiches or special tajines. Marrakesh also houses a number of excellent French, Italian and Asian restaurants so it’s possible to find meal for any taste.
Drinks are rarely on the menu so it is better to ask the price of them before ordering, as they can often be comparatively high.
Spa
As with most major tourist destinations, in Marrakesh the Spa has come into its own. ‘Sanitas per aqua’ as westerns have it, the spa has been an Oriental institution since time out of mind, under the name of ‘Hammam’. Here you can choose between the latest hydro therapeutic cures under the eye of the experienced specialists and the traditions of the hammam practiced for centuries by the ‘harzas’ of Morocco. Whichever chose you make it will be sure to relax you to the full and get you back on tip-top form.
La Plage Rouge
A vast 80m by 40m beach, it’s fine white sands lined with Balinese beds, sun beds and deckchairs . Musical entertainment by one of the best DJs and percussionists around. Restaurant service with ‘laid back’ buffet luncheons and a la carte ‘sit back and relax’ dinners on the beach accompanied by live music. Inside bar ,open air bar and clubbing until one o’clock in the morning.
What to Do
There is much to see and do in Marrakech. An entire day can be dedicated to wandering around all the different souks, seeking out the best bargains. The city also offers several historical and architectural sites as well as some interesting museums. Marrakesh is a city of great builders whose works are still there to be admired. Numerous palaces are to be found in the Medina, some are private residences, others has been transformed into restaurants or hotels.
in Marrakesh is worth to see :
Koutoubia Mosque
Saadian Tombs
Majorelle Gardens
Dar Si Saïd Museum,
Ben Youssef Madrassa
El Bahia Palace
El Badi Palace
The Menara gardens
Weather Forecast
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