After having made you discover some of my rentals in Fez and Rabat and after having made you discover my trip in the Moroccan desert, I will try to make you visit Fez.
Fez is the second largest city in Morocco, with nearly 1.2 million inhabitants. Fez has, on several occasions, been the capital of Morocco.
We are going to review the essential places of this city and I will give you some tips for visiting Fez. First of all, you should know that the city of Fez is divided into three large sectors, the medina (historic center), the new city and the royal district.

The medina of Fez or Fez El Bali, the historic center of Fez

The mosques of the Medina of Fez

The medina of Fez is the largest medina in the Arab world, therefore it has many mosques, more than thirty, some of which are very old and very well renovated, such as the El-Qaraouiyyîn mosque founded in the 9th century. Unfortunately, I could not tell you more about the mosques in Fez, indeed mosques in Morocco are prohibited for non-Muslims.

The medersas of the Medina of Fez

Madrasas or madrassa, are schools or universities, religious or secular, in the Arab world. The medina has several, some of which are very well preserved and renovated. Admission is payable, a few dirhams only, to enter the courtyard of the madrassa. I had the opportunity to visit two of the most beautiful medersa in the medina of Fez.

Medersa Bou Inania

The Medersa Bou Inania was built around 1350. It is the only medersa to have a minaret. It also has a water clock. The decoration of this Medersa is impressive, the details of the inlays on these walls are quite impressive.

Médersa Al Attarine

Built in 1323, the Medersa Al Attarine is one of the most beautiful Medersa in Fez and one of the best preserved. Small regret, of this old Koranic school you can only visit the courtyard. It will cost you 10 dirhams.
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The Chouara tanneries of Fez

You should know that you will find 3 different tanneries in the medina of Fez. The most famous, the largest and also the oldest are the tanneries of Chouara. Visiting the tanneries is a must during your stay in Fez. It is a unique place where animal skins are worked so that they are transformed into slippers, bags or any other leather-based product.
The visit of these tanneries will show you the different stages of this preparation as well as the different tanks in which these skins are immersed. You will also see the drying of these.

Tips for visiting Chouara tanneries

Be aware that when you walk in the medina of Fez, you will have the unpleasant surprise of being alpaca by a multitude of people wishing to drive you and show you around the tanneries. Even if you will feel like these people want to take you there for free, you are sure to come across someone asking you for money to access the tanneries.
Even if, theoretically, there is no charge to enter, be prepared to donate a few coins to be able to enter. Nothing excessive, 10 dirhams (around 1 euro). It is a bad thing for a good because the visit quickly becomes a “guided” visit where you are explained the different stages and processes of transformation of the skins.

The Glaoui Palace

The Glaoui Palace is one of my most memorable visits to the medina of Fez. Off the busy streets of the medina, the Glaoui palace, built in the 19th century, was the palace of the Glaoui of Marrakech. It was here that he stayed during his visits to Fez. This palace has not been used since the 1950s and this is where all the peculiarity of the palace lies. Indeed, Abdou, the only resident of the palace, cannot maintain and renovate this monumental palace. And yes, I didn’t tell you, but this palace covers 13,000 square meters and has more than 1,000 rooms. Abdou is a painter, plastic artist, he exhibits his paintings around the world at various events. You will be able to contemplate some of them during the visit of the palace. The tour only covers a very small part of the palace, but the visit is well worth it. No fixed price, you give what you want, the money will be used for the renovation of the palace.
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Visit Fez, its royal district

Visiting Fez also means visiting its royal district. The royal district, where the royal palace is located, is an obligatory stage of your visit to Fez. This one is located between the old city with its districts, Fés El Bali, Fès El Jdid and the new city. The royal palace is located on the Place des Alaouites. You cannot miss it with its imposing facade. Unfortunately you won’t see any more. You will not be able to go inside you can nevertheless contemplate the impressive door.
Merinid tombs

The Mérinides is a dynasty that reigned over Morocco between the 13th and 15th centuries. They settled in Fez for a period and founded Fes El-Jdid. They have therefore left their mark on all of Morocco and more particularly Fez.
It is therefore in this city that you can discover the ruins of the Merinid tombs. Unfortunately, not much of these tombs remains, but I still recommend this stop during your visit to Fez. Indeed these ruins being located on a hill you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the medina of Fez.

Small tips for visiting the Merinid Tombs

The Merinid tombs are located a little outside the city, they are not easily accessible on foot or even by public transport. If you haven’t rented a car, I recommend taking a taxi. You will quickly understand that it is the most practical public transport to get from one place to another in Fez. The trick is to ask the driver to wait for you not far from the tombs. You can ask him to wait 20 to 30 minutes, which is more than enough to enjoy the ruins and the view of the medina.

Where to stay in Fez?

Fez is a relatively large city separated into 3 main parts. The question of accommodation will inevitably come to your mind and to visit Fez well it is better not to be wrong about the location of the accommodation.
As I told you Fez is divided into 3 large districts, Fes El Bali which is the oldest district of Fez. Fez El Bali is the medina, entirely pedestrianized, picturesque, full of life during the day with its alleys full of small stalls mainly based on crafts. It is the most touristic district. It was in this neighborhood that I stayed. You will inevitably come there during the day. In the evening the medina gradually empties. There you will find a few restaurants and places to have a drink.

Fez El Jdid, again a more recent medina. I did not go to this medina at night, but only during the day. You will find the living side of Fez El Bali but you will undoubtedly be less disoriented.
The new city is the most recent district of Fez. This one looks like most big cities in Morocco. You will find a multitude of bar restaurants. This side of town is much more lively in the evening.
Several choices are therefore available to you for accommodation when you visit Fez. For my part, I will recommend the medina and if possible stay in a riad, this typical Moroccan accommodation is very pleasant and the people particularly welcoming. I invite you to make your choice on a vacation rental site like Vacances.SeLoger.com for example. There are many riads there and you can refine your choice according to your budget and the desired equipment. In this regard, do not hesitate to choose a riad with air conditioning if you plan to visit Fez during the hot season!

Mexico City is the largest city in the world, walking around it one is surprised to discover a mixture of pre-Columbian, colonial and American cultures. There are many neighborhoods to visit, and countless museums. Here is a selection of what stood out to me the most during my visits as well as my advice for visiting Mexico City.

Chapultepec Park

Chapultepec Park is a woodland of some 600 hectares in the heart of Mexico City. The museums, the botanical garden, the zoo, the lake and many other attractions make it a very pleasant place to walk around without worrying about the city moving a few meters away.

It is also an important historical place. It is indeed on the hill of Chapultepec that the Aztecs settled in the 13th century before founding Tenochtitlan, which later became Mexico City. The colonists built there Chapultepec Castle, located at the top of the hill. During the war against the United States a famous battle in Mexico gave rise to the legend of the child heroes of Chapultepec.

At the edge of the park is the National Anthropology Museum which allows you to discover the pre-Columbian civilizations since the arrival of man on this continent until today.

Between relaxation and culture, this park should therefore be a must on your visit to properly visit Mexico City.

Visiter Mexico: El Zocalo

El Zocalo is the main square in the historic center of Mexico City. We find there the multicultural aspects of the country and the city. The huge cathedral in the Spanish style recalls the colonies while a few meters further is the archaeological site of the major temple. This temple is the great pyramid of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, which was updated during works in 1978.

In the center of the square, the huge flag of Mexico flies in the wind. This flag is a great pride for Mexicans. On the side of the square we can see the National Palace and going a little further we find some pedestrian streets that can lead us to the Palace of Fine Art which recalls the passion of the former president Porfirio Dias for France at the beginning. of the twentieth century.

Relaxation in Mexico City

To properly visit Mexico City you should spend a few days there as there are so many places to see. To escape the hustle and bustle of the city, you can walk in the parks or in quieter neighborhoods. It is very pleasant to walk in Coyoacan for example, it is a colonial district, it almost feels like a Spanish village.

Thanks to the climate of the region, there are many flat roofs, which makes it possible to have terraces of cafes in height. Ideal for forgetting the cars for a michelada, these very refreshing Mexican beers with lemon.

And finally, the Condesa district, you can stroll along the less frequented boulevards and therefore more pleasant than the main avenues like Reforma. You will find all kinds of restaurants there, I believe that not one type of cuisine is lacking in this area!

If you love Mexico, discover Oaxaca and its region.