Fes El-Bali (Old Fes)
Thanks to the surrounding cemeteries and the enlightened siting of the ville nouvelle, nothing has been built immediately outside the walls of the Fes el-Bali. Within lies an incredible maze of twisting alleys, blind turns and hidden souqs. Navigation can be confsing and getting lost at some stage is a certaintly, but this is part of the medina's charm: you never quite know what discovery lies around the next corner.
Giving yourself up to a little random exploration, the true character of Fes reveals itself. Look out for hanging camels' heads announcing a specialist butcher, and women filling bottles from the local fountains. Following your nose will lead you to children carrying trays of loaves to be baked in the local bakery, or a cafe selling glasses of spiced Berber coffee. All the while listen out for the mule driver's cry 'balak!' (look out!) to warn of the approach of a heavily laden pack animal.