Marrakech travel guide

Ben Youssef Madrasa is an old Islamic college, located right in the old city (the Medina) of Marrakech and in extension of the Ben Youssef Mosque. The building was founded in the 14th century by Sultan Abu al-Hassan and has been rebuilt a few times since then. It is the largest madrasa (college) in Morocco and was once the largest theological college in all of North Africa. There were 900 students here, of which about 130 lived on site in small "cells" that can be visited on the 1st floor. It is a beautiful building dominated by a large courtyard with a pool in the centre and surrounded by beautiful carvings on the walls, but beyond that there is not much more to see.

At the outskirts of Marrakech and on the way to the Atlas mountains in small Berber villages, it is possible to ride camels. You typically do not get to ride the camel by yourself, but instead be taken by a camel-driver, who walks in front of you. So if you are thinking of action camel race in the desert, think again! However, it is kind of a fun feeling to sit high up on the peculiar and – put mildly - not very pretty animal, so it is worth a try.

There is carpet auction every day except Friday at around 16:30 in the carpet bazaar, Souq Tapis. Tradesmen come in with loads of carpets from the Berber villages and try to sale them to the carpet shops. Each tradesman show one carpet at a time to the different carpet shops and the shop owner then gives an offer, if he wants the carpet. The tradesman then walk back and forth with the carpet until some shop owner wins the auction. As there are many tradesmen, there is a fair amount of traffic of elderly cloak-dressed men walking around with colourful Berber carpets draped over their shoulders. The sales are done surprisingly quietly and quickly, so it's easy to miss the auction altogether, if you don't know what's going on.

The Dyers souq, Souk des Teinturiers, are collections of semi-hidden courtyards, where they still hand dye cotton and silk. Dyers will work at the steamy vats, while drying textiles in every colour are hanging on the walls and ceilings. Unfortunately Dyers souq is one of the few places in the medina with touts. They will act like your guide, whether you wanted or not, explaining the dyeing process and showing the colours, of course for a small tip.

The small Museum of Marrakech is located centrally in the Medina, the old part of Marrakech. It's situated in an old late 19th century palace, where you can still see the traditional Andalusian architecture and structure with a large courtyard (now converted into an atrium), a fountain in the centre and remains of the palace's hammam (bathing facilities). There is some ancient art and artifacts from different time periods and cultures such as the Arab, Jewish and Berber, but the most impressive piece is the giant chandelier of carved wood, which hangs in the atrium.

Jemaa El-Fnaa Square in Marrakesh takes on two contrasting, yet equally captivating personas. During the day, you’ll find endless orange juice and date vendors vying for your business, along with snake charmers and monkey handlers hoping for photo opportunities with tourists. Hopefully, by the time you make it to the square you have experienced enough of Morocco to know better than to expect anything for free, because there are definitely no complimentary services in this square! By night, the square becomes crowded with food stalls offering a good range of Moroccan cuisines. Once you've had your fill of harira and grilled sausages, grab a ginseng tea with cinnamon and ginger and explore the mind-boggling array of entertainment. From public storytelling, magicians, political speeches and musical performances there's plenty on offer. Do not miss the opportunity to watch the square come to life as night falls. Secure a spot in one of the rooftop cafes surrounding the square and watch as the transformation happens before your eyes.

Fortunately, there are many areas in Marrakech's medina, which are more for locals than tourists. The small one street souq along Rue Sidi Abdelaziz and Bab Doukkala, just northwest of the main medina, is just one of many. Here locals come to shop for vegetables, bread, fish, meat, and spices. In the morning the narrow lane is crowded with stalls and shoppers, but as the day goes by it become more chilled.

In the old town of Marrakech (the Medina) there is a giant maze of intricate alleyways filled with markets, so-called souqs. There are whole streets dealing for example only with furs, shoes, pottery, bronze items, vegetables, meats, etc. It is great fun to go into this colourful maze, but it can be difficult to find your way around - and there are not many street names to help. There are also many good restaurants and roof terraces in the Medina, but you must know where they are located, since they are well hidden in closed riads (courtyards).

From one of the old town squares (Place des Ferblantiers), and especially from the square's rooftop terraces, you have a great view of a somewhat unusual sight - a long row of stork nests. The white storks are lined up on the ancient Palais El Badii overlooking the town, and it is pretty amazing to see the giant birds nesting and fly right over your head. And you cannot help thinking that there must be a truckload of babies delivered to Marrakech with that many storks around...

Jardin Majorelle is located in the new town of Marrakech and is named after the French painter Jacques Majorelle, who arrived in the city in 1924. He opened the garden to the public in 1947, and when he died 17 years later, the French fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and his partner took over the park. Yves Saint-Laurent visited the park many times to find inspiration and refuge, and when he died in 2008, his ashes were scattered in the garden and a grave monument was raised for him among the approximately 300 different plant species. Since the garden disappoints regarding both size and plants, you have to be a dedicated Yves Saint-Laurent fan to cough up the entrance fee.