Things To Do In Fes

Experience the Cultural Heart of Morocco

The northern Morocco city of Fes or Fez is known as the spiritual and cultural centre of the country. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the city was the capital of Morocco.  However, today, Rabat is the seat of government as well as Morocco’s administrative centre, although Fes retains its crown as the cultural capital of Morocco.

Fes is also Morocco’s second-largest city after Casablanca and visitors taking a tour of Fes have a wealth of sights to savour — everything from stunning architecture and colourful bazaars to the world’s oldest university still in operation. It’s no wonder Fes carries the nicknames “Athens of Africa” and “Mecca of the West”.

Here are some highlights of things to see and do in Fes, Morocco:

Fes Medina

Thought to be the biggest pedestrianised area anywhere in the world, the Medina of Fes is a World Heritage Site and a natural attraction for visitors. This old, walled part of Fes is the place to enjoy strolling past all kinds of merchants, selling everything from spices to perfumes — and take in the historical essence of this exuberant metropolis of 1.4 million people.  UNESCO says the medina “preserves, in an ancient part comprising numerous monumental buildings, the memory of the capital founded by the Idrisid dynasty between 789 and 808 AD.”

Fes Medina

Things to do in Fes

Al-Qarawiyyin University

You can visit the world’s oldest university, which traces its origins back over 1,000 years to 859. Now a state university, it is still attracts students from all over the world with an emphasis on legal, religious and language studies. The university incorporates a mosque and library but only open to Muslim students.  Combined, they represent the spiritual, educational and cultural heart of the city and the entire country.

Bou Inania Madrasa

For a small fee, you can visit this Islamic boarding school and marvel at its traditional architecture and intricate wood carving and classic Zellige tilework in the beautiful courtyard.  This building encapsulates the height of Morocco’s design, creativity and beauty and is a place is not to be missed when you’re in Fes.

What to do in Fes

Fes Famous Leather Tanneries

Other things to do in Fes:

Other places to visit in Fes include the city’s famous leather tanneries. Watch out for pushy guides on the streets as all you need do is enter one of the many leather shops, which have balconies offering views of the tanneries. Walk for about half an hour from the central medina, to the ornate Bab Al Amer Gate. Don’t overlook the spectacular Jnan Sbil Gardens with their fountains and river — a great place to relax after a day’s sightseeing in this most magical of Morocco’s cities.

An important day trip from Fes

If you have time to head outside the city, you can visit the ancient Berber city of Volubilis and its spectacular Roman ruins — showing the Roman empire’s ultimately doomed attempts at taking over this part of North Africa that ended in the third century AD. The city is now a World Heritage site   covering an expansive, beautiful 42 hectares.

Places to visit in Fes

Experience the magic of Fes and wider Morocco on an unforgettable trip organised just for you by the experts at Desert Majesty. Get in touch now and we’ll tell you more.