Travel to the Moroccan Cities of Fez & Marrakesh

The ancient cities of Fez and Marrakesh are two of the largest cities in Morocco. As soon as your feet walk through their gates, these cities will leave you in no doubt as to their exotic nature and story-like feel. But it is not just the Scheherazade-style images that feel your minds and make these cities so unique. It is Africa Far East, attacking all senses at once. Powerful scents of spices, mint herbs and human bodies feel the air, as your eyes are overwhelmed by the colorful carpets and the sheer number of people, swamping through the narrow alley in tight closeness and yet with great ease. As you join the crowd, you ears are filled with shouts of shop owners, laughter of local children whispers of fortune tellers and the constant mumbling of the city itself, that seems to rise and fall like waves. You find yourself amazed because these cities are at the same time made-believe, dream-like and so obviously real and alive.

Fez

With a population of almost 950,000 the city of Fes is made of three parts, the old city - Fes el Bali, the new city - Fes-Jadid, and the French made part of the city, known as Ville Nouvelle. Entering the wall-surrounded old city is literally like sliding into the rabbit's hall. This is the largest urban area in the world to be completely free of cars and in this part of the city that is still trapped in ancient times, date or year mean nothing at all. Don't listen to tourist-guides who will no-doubtly try and convince you of the city's complexity and hazardless. While it is wise to keep a close eye on your valuables (or better yet, leave them in the hotel's safe), the area has some very clear landmarks and it is quite simple to find your way around. If you're convinced you need a guide, find a licensed one through the hotel.

Fez is the religious, cultural and some say - gastronomical capital of Morocco. Many tourists find themselves bewitched by the city's rich stimulations and hectic nature and are drawn back to it over and over again. Fez is the place for stories and travelers will carry it with them in their dreams.

Marrakech

The so called "Red City" of Marrakech has a population of over a million people and it offers an intense insight of the beautiful Moroccan culture as it once was. Like Fez, Marrakech it is composed of different-style parts - the "Medina" old city and the modernized part known as "Gueliz". Find the time to visit the Djemaa el Fna square where you can enjoy performances of acrobats, story-tellers, snake charmers and musicians. If you reach the area after sunset the square makes a great place to try the delicious local dishes from varied stands.

Relentless shoppers will be pleased to hear that this city is home to the largest market place in Morocco. In the small shops you can purchase just about anything - from rare spices to modern style clothing. The salesmen are obviously good at haggling, but you will not be subjected to extreme harassments so the experience is quite pleasurable.

For more information regarding these beautiful ancient Moroccan cities, try the online resource Morocco-Travel.com.