{"id":788,"date":"2013-12-08T15:52:12","date_gmt":"2013-12-08T15:52:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/?p=788"},"modified":"2025-04-20T16:50:13","modified_gmt":"2025-04-20T16:50:13","slug":"fezgetaway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/fezgetaway\/","title":{"rendered":"Fez, Morocco: a Perfect Quick Getaway"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is<\/em> the perfect getaway, anyway?<\/p>\n

For me, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s spending a few days in a new environment \u00e2\u20ac\u201d leaving the familiar behind and diving headfirst into new smells, tastes, sounds, and sights. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s that sense of sensory overload that somehow resets your system. You return home relaxed, energized, and inspired.<\/p>\n

I found exactly that in Fez, Morocco.<\/p>\n

Four days was all I needed to chase away the creeping winter gloom and find the strength to face the grey days still waiting for me back in Europe. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very little that sunshine, Moroccan cuisine, a good dose of exotic culture, and quality time with a loved one can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fix.<\/p>\n

Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s how I experienced the perfect getaway in Fez:<\/p>\n

Dump the city map<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s only one way to experience the old medina: get completely lost in it. Let yourself wander, turn down alleyways without reason, and soak it all in. Every corner feels like a discovery \u00e2\u20ac\u201d especially in winter, when the streets are quieter and tourists are few.<\/p>\n

\"fez<\/a>
narrow streets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"market<\/a>
markets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"moroccan<\/a>
beautiful gateways<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shop or (at least) window shop<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Fez is home to some seriously gorgeous handmade goods: quality leather, silver jewelry, lamps, nougat, argan oil from the South, precious stones… But be warned \u00e2\u20ac\u201d the shopkeepers are persuasive. Cunning, even. So summon your most assertive alter ego and bring your top-tier bargaining game.<\/p>\n

\"buying<\/a>
buying nougat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"moroccan<\/a>
beautiful lamps<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"selfie<\/a>
selfie while drooling over lamps<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spend the night in a riad<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Traditional Moroccan riads are something else. With their beautifully decorated courtyards and rooms full of intricate detail, they truly feel like another world \u00e2\u20ac\u201d a “1001 nights” sort of experience. While some are luxurious (and pricey), plenty offer mid-range or budget options too, without sacrificing that grand exotic ambiance.<\/p>\n

\"budget<\/a>
budget riad room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"breakfast<\/a>
breakfast in the December sunshine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you can’t afford to stay in a riad…<\/span><\/p>\n

Have drinks in a fancy Riad<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If an overnight stay isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t in the cards, splurge on a drink in one of the fancier riads. Dress up, sip slowly, and enjoy your temporary fairytale setting. Not your average night out.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"fancy<\/a>
fancy riad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"indoor<\/a>
inner court with pool<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"martini<\/a>
martini at the fancy riad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"martini\"<\/a>
expensive but worth it<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Taste “Pastilla”<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Pronounced bastila<\/em>, this sweet and savoury pie has Andalusian-Arab roots. Traditionally made with slow-cooked pigeon meat (though chicken is more common now), it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s seasoned with cinnamon, cardamom, and black pepper, then wrapped in phyllo dough, baked, and topped with crushed almonds and icing sugar. Definitely unusual and worth a try.<\/p>\n

\"pastilla\"<\/a>
pastilla<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Marvel at the golden gates of the Royal Palace<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t go inside \u00e2\u20ac\u201d the palace is closed to the public \u00e2\u20ac\u201d but that shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stop you from admiring the grand, ornate gates. Some find it underwhelming as you can’t see the inside, but I say let your imagination do the rest. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s worth a photo stop, at the very least.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"royal<\/a>
royal palace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"knocking<\/a>
knocking at the golden gates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Visit a tannery<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ever wondered where your leather shoes or bag came from? Visit the tanneries and see for yourself. The process is fascinating, gritty, and very real. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll know you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re close when the smell of leather (and less romantic ingredients) hits. A small tip for the guard or worker showing you around is appreciated \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and expected.<\/p>\n

\"rotting<\/a>
meat rotting off the skin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"drying<\/a>
drying skins<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"tannery<\/a>
tannery in the medina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"hard<\/a>
hard\u00c2\u00a0labor\u00c2\u00a0at the tannery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Learn to cook a tajine dish<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In theorie tajine dishes are simple to prepare: fresh ingredients, the right spices, and a little patience. A secret family recipe doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hurt either. I got mine from a Moroccan CouchSurfer at a house party deep in the heart of the medina. But if that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not on offer, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll find plenty of cooking classes in Fez. And once you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re home, recreating the dish brings your getaway right back to life.<\/p>\n

\"learning<\/a>
learning to cook a simple tajine dish<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"to<\/a>
to be enjoyed with friends<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Get out of town<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Walking around in Fez can be quite intense. For a change of pace, head to the Roman ruins of Volubilis \u00e2\u20ac\u201d just 70 km away. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is scattered with columns, mosaics, and wide open space. You can get there by taxi (about an hour) or hop a train heading to Mekn\u00c3\u00a8s.
Even those who tend to doze off at archaeological sites might find this one worth staying awake for.<\/p>\n

\"out<\/a>
out of town<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Volubilis\"<\/a>
Volubilis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fez offered me just the right mix of exploration, food, warmth, and cultural curiosity.<\/p>\n

Would you consider Fez as a (weekend) getaway? Where was your last getaway?<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

\u00c2\u00a0The post “Fez, Morocco: a Perfect Quick Getaway<\/a>” first appeared on Travel Cake<\/a>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is the perfect getaway, anyway? For me, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s spending a few days in a new environment \u00e2\u20ac\u201d leaving the familiar behind and diving headfirst into new smells, tastes, sounds, and sights. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s that sense of sensory overload that somehow resets your system. You return home relaxed, energized, and inspired. I found exactly that in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":829,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,125],"tags":[110,34,4,57,37,44],"country":[242],"class_list":["post-788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-morocco","tag-africa","tag-destination-guide","tag-food","tag-morocco","tag-tips","tag-top-things","post_format-post-format-image","country-morocco"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=788"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4503,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788\/revisions\/4503"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=788"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}