Marrakech

The Almoravids founded Marrakech in the 11th century, and in many languages it gave its name to the whole country. Its walls and houses are the colour of red earth; its medina and the Agdal and Menara gardens have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985, and behind it rise the Atlas peaks, snow-capped in winter.

The heart of the city is Jemaa el-Fna, recognised by UNESCO as intangible oral heritage: storytellers, musicians, juice stalls and food stands that fill the square from late afternoon. At its edge stands the minaret of the Koutoubia, about 77 metres high, from the 12th century. The city also has the 19th-century Bahia Palace, with its gardens and zellige, and the Majorelle Garden in its famous blue.

Marrakech is a city of private riads and grand garden hotels, and of souks selling leather, brass, carpets and spices. Day trips leave from here for the Atlas mountains, the Ourika Valley, the stony Agafay desert, and Essaouira on the ocean.