Lonely Planet Pocket Marrakesh , livre ebook

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Top Experiences
Dining Out
Treasure Hunt
Art & Design
Spas & Hammams
Courses & Tours
Amazigh Culture
Bar Open
Country Getaways
For Kids
Four Perfect Days
Need to Know
Marrakesh Neighbourhoods

Explore Marrakesh

Djemaa El Fna & Southern Central Medina
Mouassine & Central Souqs
Kâat Ben Nahid & Bab Debbagh
Kasbah & Mellah
Bab Doukkala & Riad Laârous
Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle

Survival Guide

Survival Guide
Before You Go
Arriving in Marrakesh
Getting Around
Essential Information
Responsible Travel
Language
Behind the Scenes
Our Writer

COVID-19
We have re-checked every business in this book before publication to ensure that it is still open following the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 will continue to be felt long after the outbreak has been contained, and many businesses, services and events referenced in this guide may experience ongoing restrictions. Some businesses may be temporarily closed, have changed their opening hours and services, or require bookings; some unfortunately could have closed permanently. We suggest you check with venues before visiting for the latest information.
Marrakesh Top Experiences

1 Get lost at Djemaa El Fna

MICHAEL HEFFERNAN/LONELY PLANET ©

Marrakesh Top Experiences
1 Wander through Jardin Majorelle

SAIKO3P/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Marrakesh Top Experiences
1 Take in the grandeur of Bahia Palace

OLENA Z/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Marrakesh Top Experiences
1 Discover old Marrakesh at Maison de la Photographie

STESILVERS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Marrakesh Top Experiences
1 Marvel at Koutoubia Mosque

MONTICELLO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Marrakesh Top Experiences
1 Swat up on carpets at Dar Si Said

MITZO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Marrakesh Top Experiences
1 Appreciate design at Musée Yves Saint Laurent

TODAMO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Marrakesh Top Experiences
1 Explore the Saadian Tombs

JOSE IGNACIO SOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Marrakesh Top Experiences
1 Gaze at art at Musée de Marrakech

OLENA Z/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Dining Out

Marrakesh’s culinary scene is one of the country’s most exciting and diverse. That said, as traditionally Marrakshis don’t eat out often, most medina restaurants are aimed squarely at the tourist market, and meals can be hit-and-miss. In middle-class Gueliz, there’s more of a local dining vibe with both local and international restaurants.

CHRIS GRIFFITHS/LONELY PLANET ©

Street Food
Streetside snacking is a way of life in Marrakesh, so don’t be afraid to jump in. Busy souq workers with no time for a long lazy lunch head to a snak (kiosk) to feast on brochettes (kebabs), peppery merguez (spicy sausage) and teyhan (stuffed spleen). Hot spots in the medina (besides Djemaa El Fna) include just south of Place Ben Youssef in the souqs, Rue de la Kasbah and the western end of Rue Bab Doukkala.

Riad Dadas
Virtually all riad hotels have a dada (chef), who typically looks after the house and can whip up meals for guests. These dada are the unsung heroes of Marrakesh’s culinary scene. Many riads open up their courtyard or rooftop restaurant to nonguests so you can sample different chefs’ takes on Moroccan specialities. In nearly all cases, you have to book ahead because of both limited seating and so the dada can plan the menu in advance.

Best Cheap Eats
Marrakech Henna Art Cafe Good-value sandwiches and Berber omelettes.
Roti d’Or Always buzzing because of its hearty portions and Marrakshi takes on Mexican classics.
Restaurant Place Ferblantiers No 12 A local grill stand that moonlights as a tourist restaurant.

Best Global Eats
Catanzaro Simply the best pizza in town.
I Limoni Excellent pasta dishes served up in this citrus-tree-shaded courtyard.
Beats Burger The gourmet burger craze lands in the middle of the souqs.

Best Local Faves
Amal Center Cooking with a cause – one of Marrakesh’s top lunch destinations. (pictured)
Naima Superior couscous made fresh daily.
Mechoui Alley Slow-roasted lamb straight from the pit oven.

Best Modern Moroccan
Kilim Moroccan flavours and ingredients injected into salads and sandwiches.
Le Trou Au Mur Traditional dishes get a makeover with a slice of fusion flair.
Max & Jan Clever twists on classic dishes like tanjia .

Best Riad Dining
La Table Al Badia Daily menus concocted from what’s available in the medina souqs.
PepeNero Charming service and courtyard dining with both classic Italian and Moroccan menus.
La Table du Palais Candle-lit meals around a fountain under a canopy of palms.

Best Vegan & Vegetarian
Namaste Cafe The first vegan cafe in the medina offers set lunches using organic local produce.
Earth Café Cheerful vege-tarian spot with plenty of enticing dishes.
Gaia Gueliz’s chic vegan cafe serves dishes as pretty as a picture.

Dining-Out Details
A Alcohol is becoming more common in medina restaurants, but many places still don’t serve it.
A Book ahead for top-end restaurants and trendy spots, particularly in peak season (March to May and October to December).

Treasure Hunt

Marrakesh is one of the world’s great shopping destinations. The full gamut of Moroccan crafts – both traditional and contemporary – can be found here, and few travellers return from a trip empty-handed. In the souqs, haggling is the name of the game, but some medina boutiques and all of the Gueliz design shops have fixed prices.

CHRIS GRIFFITHS/LONELY PLANET ©

Souq 101
‘Souq’ means ‘market’, but when locals refer to ‘the souqs’, they mean the maze of market streets north of Djemaa El Fna and southwest of Musée de Marrakech. Prices are at their most expensive in Souq Semmarine (Leather Souq), the main thoroughfare from Djemaa El Fna, because of the high price of real estate (and tourist traffic) on the main drag. Products here often come from specialist souqs just a few streets away.
It is always better to buy in dedicated souqs, especially carpets, metalware and leatherwork. The smaller qissariat (covered markets) between Souq Smata and Souq Nejarine usually have lower-priced crafts. The streets south of Djemaa El Fna, Riads Zitoun El Kedim and Jedid can be more pleasant places to shop, but the choice isn’t quite as broad.

Best for Fashion
Sissi Morocco Unique silky-soft tees featuring sepia photos of Amazigh (Berber) tribal women.
Kaftan Queen The place to come for beautiful contemporary caftans.
Les Marrisiennes Playful prints use Moroccan icons such as babouches (leather slippers) and fez hats.
33 Rue Majorelle The best selection of local designers in the city.

Best for Beauty
Jad Purveyor of Le Sens de Marrakesh toiletries, beloved by Marrakesh riad owners.
Naturom Heavenly potions and lotions, all fully organic and locally made.
L’Art du Bain Savonnerie Artisanale Luxurious soapy stuff with Moroccan scents.

Best for Modern Design
Souq Cherifia Young designers pitch their claim on the upper balcony selling quirky accessories and homewares.
Max & Jan The medina goes hipster at this fun (and huge) fashion, accessories and homewares boutique. (pictured)
Wafl Design T-shirts and homewares with tongue-in-cheek prints, clever illustrations and sassy slogans.

Best for Carpets
Bibi Art Three-storey carpet emporium that employs its own Atlas Mountain weavers.
Anamil A high-quality haul of textiles, many of which are unique modern Moroccan designs.
Soufiane Zarib Towers of carpets in a cavernous showroom, with production overseen and quality controlled by the designer.

Best Co-op Shopping
Assouss Cooperative d’Argane Gorgeous argan essential oils sold by a women’s cooperative.
Al Nour Delicately embroidered cotton clothing, stitched by artisans with disabilities.

Worth a Trip
If you dream of kitting out your house like a Marrakesh riad, head 4km out of the central city to the industrial district of Sidi Ghanem . Here the streets are crammed with local designer factory outlets and showrooms selling modern spins on Moroccan ceramics, textiles and beauty products, as well as traditional crafts.

Art & Design

Marrakesh is a city steeped in ancient artistry. Palaces are a riot of tilework and carved decoration; riads display intricate plasterwork and textiles. These craft traditions are kept alive by the modern artisans of the souqs and also inspire the contemporary art and design scene, well established in Gueliz and now storming through the medina.

CHRIS GRIFFITHS/LONELY PLANET ©

Traditional Techniques
Tour any historic monument in Marrakesh and its opulent interiors are guaranteed to inspire artistic reverence. The palaces are a riot of zellige (colourful mosaics of glazed tiles), muqarnas (decorative plaster vaulting) and zouak (painted wood). Also look out for tadelakt , a satiny, hand-polished limestone plaster used in riads that is now employed in contemporary ceramics.

Contemporary Art
Trailblazing Marrakesh is the centre of Morocco’s small but growing modern-art scene. Marrakesh’s contemporary artists merge abstract with tribal art forms and Arabic calligraphy and motifs. Gueliz has become a hive of independent art galleries, and the 1-54 ( www.1-54.com ; La Mamounia; h Feb) Contemporary African Art Fair attracts around 6000 visitors a year.

Best for Artists at Work
Ensemble Artisanal Head here for a gander at local craftspeople and artisans at work.
Souq Haddadine Visit the medina’s blacksmith workshops.

Best Galleries
Comptoir des Mines Gueliz’s biggest and best contemporary art gallery
Musée de la Palmeraie Large collection of modern Moroccan art in lovely gardens.
Maison de la Photographie A glorious photographic journey through Moroccan landscapes and community heritage.
Dar Bellarj Old stork hospital converted into a nonprofit community art centre.
MACMA Traces the history and artistic vibrations of Morocco through photography and the decorative arts. (pictured a