It is at the bottom of the Middle Atlas that Morocco was born. It is at least here that we find the first capital of the kingdom, Fez l'envoûtante, inaugurated in the 9th century, a real jewel whose medina (fortified city) Fez el-Bali, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, shelters narrow streets full of marvels of Hispano-Moorish architecture and archaeological sites. The undisputed spiritual centre of Morocco, Fez is one of the four imperial cities of the country, its medina is the largest in the Maghreb, the most vibrant and most fascinating too! In the heart of its narrow and winding streets where 350,000 people gather every day, past the main entrance gate called Bab Boujloud, the tourist guide of Fez will take you from medersas (Koranic schools) and mosques to souks - that of spices, potters or the famous open-air tannery of Chouara -, from small local canteens to majestic riads with bright mosaics. If you have some time, you will have the opportunity to discover the surroundings of the city: the thermal springs of Moulay Yacoub in the north, but also the Roman site of Volubilis, or even the pretty mountain resorts of the Middle Atlas, in the south. Of course, a few days are enough to visit Fez, but if you really want to get all the substantial marrow from this destination, the time to devote to it could easily be counted in years..
