A visit to Fez is a visit to the past. Set in the rolling foothills in the north of the Middle Atlas, Fez’s medina has thankfully stayed rooted in the Middle Ages. An endless maze of narrow lanes, donkeys with huge loads and a never ending tide of people, make the souqs a wonderful place to explore. Fez’s souqs have a fantastic collection Moroccan crafts.

Family run shops are brimming with carpets, while brass lanterns and plates hang outside. The tanneries are a must, where men prepare leather goods, using multi-coloured dyes and age old methods. Through plain doors you’ll catch unexpected glances of beautifully tiled riads and fantastically ornate palaces.

Fez is a city of three major parts: Fez El Bali which holds the main souqs. Fez El Jedid which houses the Mellah, or Jewish area with balconied houses, synagogue and palaces, and finally the Ville Nouvelle with its tree lined boulevards which is home to most of the hotels and banks. No trip to Morocco is complete without a visit to Fez, just remember if you are shopping in the souqs you‘ll need all your haggling skills.