Marrakech

Marrakech has about 1 Mio. inhabitants and is situated at the foot of the Atlas mountains.

We flew directly from Munich to Marrakech with Royal Air Maroc. There we have been picked up by a driver who drove with us to the edge of the well know central square Djemma el Fna. There our luggage was reloaded to a push cart. Directly across the square our luggage and us were brought to our hotel, an old riad with a nice view across the square. On this short way we could experience already the unique flair. Everywhere were music, dancer, juggler, story-teller and snake charmer. A highlight are the food stalls. Despite some warnings we ate there everyday of our 5 day stay and we never experienced any problems with our stomachs.

We stayed in Riad Andalla. This riad has a typical ground plan with an nice patio. All rooms on 4 floors are located around this patio. On the roof terrace we could enjoy our breakfasts in the morning and in the late afternoon and evening we had a great view across the Djemma el Fna with all the hustle and bustle.

Another highlight of the city is the mostly canopied souk (Market). Here you are able to get everything you need. The souk of Marrakech is the biggest in Morocco and you need to take care not to get lost.
We have seen a lot of places of interest: The Koutoubia mosque from 1162 (you cannot get inside beside you are a Muslim), the Kasbah (weir system) from the 12th century and the Ben-Jusuf-Medersa from the 14th century (koranic school). Very interesting was as well the Bahia-Palace, the El Badi-Palace and the tombs of the Saad. A hideaway at the edge of the historic city is the Jardin Majorelle, a garden established in 1923 and from 1980 onwards a retreat for the french fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.

It was a very good time in Marrakech. It's original and the souk is fantastic and worth to see and experience. It's the pure orient. Of course it is sometimes touristic already, but you can still see the original life of the people of Morocco.