Djemâa el-Fna squareDjemâa el-Fna, at the heart of the Marrakesh Medina. The night-time entertainment of this mythical square amazes the most blasé of travellers. The several traditional festivities, stalls, restaurants or famous water-sellers make the Djemâa el Fna a must to visit.

The Djemâa el Fna square is an inescapable place in Marrakesh. A real central route of the Marrakesh Medina, it enables to take in the proliferation of life and activities that characterise the imperial town. The charm of the Djemâa el Fna square comes from the multitude of street-artists, stalls of dried fruit or orange juice freshly-pressed before you, and the multitude of small restaurants that take over its centre from early evening, and contribute to the scent of its surroundings. In the morning, you can taste excellent pancakes at the Toubkal café, at midday, you can take in the sun on the terrace of the Café de France and in the evening, you can take advantage of the dozens of musical and artistic shows there. At nightfall, a colourful crowd converges towards Djemâa el Fna in order to benefit from the coolness of the evening while watching family shows.

Koutoubia mosqueThe mosque and minaret, an emblem in Marrakesh.

Over time, the Koutoubia mosque has become an emblem of Marrakesh. Its construction was decided in 1158 by the sultan Almohades Abdel Moumen soon after his conquest of Marrakech. It was completed in 1199 with the construction of its famous minaret ordered by the sultan’s grandson, Yacoub el-Mansour. Koutoubia, literally the “Booksellers’ Mosque” in Arab, is named after the large number of sellers of books and manuscripts that set up their stalls in the immediate vicinity of the building from the 12th-13th century.

Asni valley A little more than one hour away from Marrakech, the Asni Valley is at the foot of some of the highest peaks of the Atlas Mountains. It is a spread of natural unspoilt beauty and purity and offers a haven of peace after the commotion of the red town.

Infinitely different landscapes are passed through to reach this calm region. From the comfort of their vehicle, visitors can imagine the lifestyle of the inhabitants not so long ago. The mule tracks, the douars (shanty-towns) on the hillside, or the shepherds leading their troops are constant reminders of the relativity of time. The arrival in Asni tends to interrupt this train of thought. Indeed, this village is not of any special interest, but it is the place for deciding between continuing straight on towards Marigha, Ouirgane and Tizi n’Test or heading off towards Imlil and the Toubkal Mountain, the highest peak of the Atlas Mountains.

MenaraThe central lake and its adjoining pavilion exult the romanticism of the “Southern pearl”

Planted with olive-trees, some of which are more than 100 years old, the charm of the Menara garden lies in its central part. Its large central lake was dug in the 12th century at the time of Almohade. On one side, there is a harmonious Saadian pavilion that was built at the end of the 19th century. Legend has it that the Menara garden was a place of love trysts for the sultans.

Lalla Takerkoust lake A haven of peace and coolness only 30 minutes away from Marrakech

Built in the time of the French protectorate, the Lalla Takerkoust dam provides Marrakech and its region with electricity. It has also enabled the creation of a very pleasant artificial lake, only 40 Km away from Marrakech. Over several square kilometres, this stretch of water provides a refreshing opportunity to escape from the heat and pollution that rage over Marrakech at certain times of the year.

The Palm Grove The Palm Grove is nearly a thousands year old and offers a vast expanse of greenery

The famous Palm Grove was planted during the Almoravides dynasty on 13 000 hectares and has more than a 100.000 trees.It is now the centre of a urbanisation plan with luxury residences, sports clubs, golfs and Five star hotels.The massive invasion is caused by the unique attractions of the Palm Grove : its age, magic and luxuriant vegetation.

El Bahia Palace A small folly ordered in 1880 by the great vizier Sidi Moussa.

The Bahia palace is a small piece of folly ordered in 1880 by the great vizier Sidi Moussa. Successively at the service of sultans Moulay Hassan and Moulay Abd el-Aziz, Sidi Moussa was the de facto minister of the kingdom of Morocco.