Riad ElFilali

Marrakech :
Now served by several low cost lines, Marrakech, three hours from France, has become a destination weekend affordable. Want the sun? On a romantic break and exotic romantic? Partying all night with the jet set? Marrakech will amaze you at each visit: at once familiar and elusive, chaotic and uncontrollable, the red city has everything to enchant the visitor.

Sleeping in a riad
Spoil yourself and sleep in a setting worthy of a thousand and one nights. Push the door of a riad is a bit like entering a dream. Riads are traditional Moroccan houses located in the medina. Completely closed to the outside, they are organized around a central courtyard in the Arabo-Andalusian.

The riads were all restored in the years 80-90, mostly by foreigners who have sensed the potential of such sites. They are havens of peace in the heart of the bustling medina. Often luxurious - and not always affordable - riads are usually tastefully decorated using traditional techniques tadelakt (lime plaster) and zelliges (glazed earthenware).

Wonders of the medina

Is on foot it takes to discover the medina without fear of straying into its bowels. Anyway, you will lose ... before finding your way, do not panic! Very well preserved, the Medina of Marrakech is surrounded by ramparts. Built by the Almoravids in the twelfth century, it is now classified as World Heritage by UNESCO.

Venture into the maze of alleyways to discover the lifestyle of Marrakech popular among bustling souks and calm refreshing fountains, sheltered from the high walls of the riads and palaces. The medina contains many architectural gems, like the Ben Youssef madrasah. This former Koranic school, built in the sixteenth century, is a magnificent edifice of Arab-Andalusian style, beautifully decorated.

Among the other jewels of the medina, mosque El-Mansour deploys its minaret with interlacing diamond turquoise, with, in his garden, the tombs of kings Saadi. Nearby, the Bahia Palace is a wonderful example of Moroccan house of the nineteenth century.

Stroll through the souks
The souks, north of the Jemaa el Fna, is the major attraction of Marrakech. They are among the finest in the Arab world. Riot of colors, scents, sounds, sensations ... No need to be a follower of haggling to succumb! Feel free to venture out alone, the establishment of a tourist brigade having significantly lowers the risk of harassment.

The souks, comprising over 40 000 local artisans, are classified by business and neighborhoods. Do not miss the souk Ahiak (cloth), Chouari (basket maker, wood turners) Haddadine (blacksmiths), MATS (slippers), Rabia (carpet) and El Kebir (leather workers). Otherwise, you will find shops everywhere and funduq (caravanserai) filled with knick-knacks of the most eclectic. In short, true cave of Ali Baba! And remember, haggling required!

The poetry of the Jardin Majorelle
Fancy a bit of calm after the madness of the souk? Jump into a taxi to the new town of Guéliz where the Majorelle garden, home of painter Jacques Majorelle in 1919 to his death.
Redeemed by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge, places now house the collection of Islamic art of the couturier. The garden, consisting of bougainvillea, palms, cacti and plants from around the world, seems out of a painting by Majorelle, as his studio walls a bright blue-purple (the "Majorelle Blue").

Yves Saint Laurent loved this place so much that he chose to make his ashes scattered after her death. A monument reminds visitors of the memory of the great couturier. A magical place.

Aperitif on Jemaa el Fna
You have to go late in the afternoon on the terraces of coffee (or Hotel de France Café Glacier) overlooking the Djemaa el-Fna, one of the most fascinating city sites in the world . It was at that time that the place really comes alive with street vendors who come, but also storytellers, fortune tellers, snake charmers, musicians gnaouas, healers ... We could spend hours to contemplate the incredible human fauna, this street theater of the most sensational.

Later, still on Jemaa el Fna square, dozens of street restaurants serve food of all kinds (soups, tagines, grilled ...) at prices defying any competition. Seated on wooden benches, we enjoy in the smoke of braziers and sounds of the crowd. Intoxicating, even if we do not serve alcohol ...
After, cross the Jemaa el Fna to admire the floodlit Koutoubia. This famous minaret, Marrakech icon, was built in the twelfth century and became the model for the Giralda in Seville. Nothing less.

An Evening in Marrakesh
Your palate is too delicate for the stands of the Jemaa el Fna? Marrakech is full of good restaurants where you can indulge in the delights of the tagine, couscous, kefta and delicious pigeon pastilla. Some restaurants in the medina are located in traditional buildings, such as ksour, the funduq (The Foundouk) or riads. Looking forward dishes that adds a beautiful setting. What more?
To finish the evening, opportunities abound. It may even come to Marrakech just to party. The gilded youth of Morocco are its habits during the weekend, but also the fashionable Paris who loves to come have fun in the warm nights Marrakech. Ambiance fluff, but fun at Comptoir Paris-Marrakech for a drink and a little more selective at Bo-Zin or the Palais Jad Mahal, other local musts. The night continues in box at the very trendy Théâtro if you like techno-house or must-Pasha with his garden under the stars, bling temple whose reputation is second to none.