Marrakesh
One of the Djemaa's old timers, the balconies of Café de France still have some of the best views of the square, but don't they know it. Service is often poor (particularly at sunset, when the terraces are swamped), and it's one of the only cafes in Marrakesh to add a service charge. Hawkers are given free rein on the front terrace.
There's also a charge for using the downstairs toilets, but bizarrely not the ones on the terraces.
1.35 MILES
French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé bought Jardin Majorelle in 1980 to preserve the vision of its original owner,…
0.09 MILES
Roll up, roll up for the greatest show on earth. Everywhere you look in Djemaa El Fna, Marrakesh’s main square (pronounced "jema" – the "d" is silent),…
1.46 MILES
This captivating museum, opened in 2017, showcases finely selected collections of haute couture clothing and accessories that span 40 years of creative…
0.42 MILES
La Bahia (The Beautiful) is an 8000-sq-metre, floor-to-ceiling extravagance of intricate marquetry, plasterwork and zouak (painted wood), and certainly…
0.41 MILES
Five times a day, one voice rises above the din of Djemaa El Fna as the muezzin calls the faithful to prayer from the Koutoubia Mosque. The mosque's…
0.64 MILES
Saadian Sultan Ahmed Al Mansour Ed Dahbi was just as extravagant in death as he was in life. After the "golden king" built Badia Palace in the 16th…
0.56 MILES
As 16th-century Sultan Ahmed Al Mansour (r 1578-1603) was paving the Badia Palace with gold, turquoise and crystal, his court jester wisecracked, ‘It’ll…
0.33 MILES
The foundations of this historic riad are more than 400 years old, and it was once owned by powerful qaid (local chief) U-Bihi. Here, though, it's not the…
0.09 MILES
Roll up, roll up for the greatest show on earth. Everywhere you look in Djemaa El Fna, Marrakesh’s main square (pronounced "jema" – the "d" is silent),…
0.15 MILES
The Alouani Bibi family have thrown open the doors of this old riad to display their eclectic and fascinating collection of Moroccan artefacts. From…
0.18 MILES
The French name, Place des Épices, for this hopping little plaza derives from its high concentration of apothecaries who sell mysterious supplies to…
0.19 MILES
On the north side of Rahba Kedima, look for the archway with 'Le Souk Principal de Tapis' written above the door. Inside it's packed to the rafters with…
0.23 MILES
While house-hunting in the medina, Parisian Patrick Menac'h stumbled across a historic treasure of great cultural significance. Beneath the layers of…
0.25 MILES
Berber boucharouites (rag rugs made from recycled cloth) may be a poor cousin to the famous jewel-toned Moroccan carpets, but this beautifully collated…
0.27 MILES
The medina had 80 fountains at the start of the 20th century; each neighbourhood had its own, providing water for cooking, public baths, orchards and…
0.29 MILES
Si Said, the original owner of this 19th-century medina mansion, a monument to Moroccan mâalem (master artisans), was brother to Grand Vizier Bou Ahmed,…