"Fez - A World Of Little Change Within The Medina" Fes by Mikebb

Fes Travel Guide: 441 reviews and 1,109 photos

Marrakesh To Fes

We left Marrakesh at 9am to commence our 485km (303 miles) road trip to Fes travelling through rich farmland to the Atlas Mountains and then through the Mid Atlas, passing through many villages where life remains very similar to that of hundreds of years ago.

Yes, there are motor vehicles in these villages and television antennas, however you will also see life unchanged with the mule remaining the favoured means of transport, transporting everything from villagers to farm produce, materials and whatever else needs moving. We passed many Medinas and souks which looked as though the whole district attended. As we moved through a village you would see donkeys bringing in produce as far as 5km from the souck. We were told peasants commence setting up the souk pre dawn.

Amazingly as we moved through the Atlas mountains we saw shepherds with small flocks of sheep, goats and occasionaly cows, never more than 20 in number, herding their animals on the free range pastures and watching over them throughout the day. As evening closed in you would see the animals following the shepherd back to the shelter of his home. It looked as though nothing had changed in 2,000 years.

Much of the farmland had a good supply of water obtained from winter snow on the Atlas mountains and we travelled through the endless agriculture district. We stopped in several villages and some of our group purchased fresh fruit, including some beautiful dates. We passed through some poor agricultural areas where the soil looked as though it could hardly support grass.

Arriving in Fes just after 7pm we were quickly into our hotel and freshened up for dinner and early night. We found that hotel staff used French as the everyday language with most also speaking English.

Entertainment & Dining.

Belly Dancer Entertains During Dinner.

One evening we attended a Moroccan Dinner and Folklore Evening that was most enjoyable. There were a number of Belly Dancers who gave spectacular performances.

Several travelogues below record events of this special evening.

Fes-El-Bali, Morocco's Largest Medina

The Bab Bou Jeloud Gate, Medina, Fes

When visiting Fes the highlight is visiting this medina which has a surprise every corner you take. Expect to see the unexpected, for most visitors it will be a culture shock. Make certain you have plenty of time to amble around the streets and stop and browse, there are plenty of opportunities to buy local goods, but examine carefully as many are not quality, especially some of the brass and silver items.

A guided tour is recommended as it would be very easy to get lost.

Last visit to Fes: Sep 2008
Intro Updated Feb 11, 2009
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Reviews (17)

Street Artisan Things to Do (11)

Wandering through the medina we found this man chisseling patterns onto tiles.All done manually with very simple tools,... more travel advice

Fresh Fish Retailer - Fes-El-Bali Medina Things to Do (11)

The fish look fresh and good, however I would be careful if thinking of purchasing for a self catering meal. All... more travel advice

Public Water Fountain Things to Do (11)

Throughout the medina there are public water fountains for use by anyone in the Medina. These fountains are lavish in... more travel advice

Belly Dancing Not To Be Missed Nightlife (1)

Our group attended a Morroccan Dinner and Folklore Evening whilst in Fez. It was an outstanding evening including a 4... more travel advice

Hotels (1)
Excellent Rooms, Good Facilities
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Travelogues (4)

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Comments (7)

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Yaqui Jan 30, 2011 at 7:10 AM

The public water fountain, I bet it has heard some interesting stories;) Another wonderful adventure and excellent page Mike!
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lynnehamman Apr 21, 2010 at 2:20 AM

Good page Mike, with nice tips and great pictures. Now I KNOW for sure why I am vegetarian!
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TheLongTone Jan 31, 2010 at 2:31 AM

Nice Morocco pages. But I think you're wrong about those numbers: I have a similar photo and explanation on my Tangier page.
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BruceDunning Aug 19, 2009 at 2:40 PM

This is the real life in action that you captured. I correspond with a nice younger man ho works in the souk-VT Travolta76. YOu did a great job of showing this city and culture.
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Jefie Feb 13, 2009 at 5:50 AM

What a great page, Mike! I'm definitely putting Fes on my wishlist, the medina looks amazing and straight out of an Arabian Nights tale! Thanks for taking the time to share your tips & pics :o)
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nicolaitan Feb 11, 2009 at 10:34 AM

nice page. looks like you got a good hotel there. And Allal's store looks pretty impressive too. nice page.
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deecat Feb 9, 2009 at 3:48 PM

What an enlightening group of tips. I found your tips about the Medina great. The metalwork looks incredible. Love the doors of the Royal Palace. Your hotel look just lovely.