Things to do · Fes
Fes el-Bali is a deep, sunken labyrinth. Its lanes are narrow, walled and often roofed, and the great mosques and madrasas turn their richest faces inward to courtyards, so there are very few street-level vantage points from which to see the city as a whole. In Fes, the views are up. The finest panoramas come from above: the rooftop terraces of riads, cafés and restaurants tucked among the medina's rooftops, where you can sit over a glass of mint tea and look across a sea of flat roofs and minarets; the upper terraces of the leather shops that ring the Chouara tannery; the rooftop of the Nejjarine museum; and, just outside and above the medina on the northern hillside, the classic citywide panorama from Borj Nord and the Merinid Tombs. This guide explains why the views are up in Fes, where to find rooftop terraces and how to be a respectful guest, the tannery and Nejjarine rooftops, the Borj Nord and Merinid Tombs hillside, the best light at sunset, and photography and etiquette on the roofs.
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Fes el-Bali sits in a bowl in the valley of the Fez river, and its medina is one of the world's largest car-free urban areas, a dense maze of narrow, often covered lanes. Because the streets are sunken and walled, there are few open vantage points at ground level. To take in the city as a whole you have to climb, which is why rooftop terraces and the surrounding hills are where Fes reveals itself.
Many of the medina's riads and guesthouses have a rooftop terrace, and these are often the easiest places to gain a little height. From the roof of a traditional house you look out over the immediate sea of rooftops, satellite dishes and the occasional minaret rising above them. If you are staying in the medina, your own riad terrace may be one of the simplest and most peaceful viewpoints you find.
A number of cafés and restaurants in Fes el-Bali open their rooftops to guests, where you can order a glass of mint tea or a meal and take in the rooftop view. Be a respectful guest: these are working businesses, so the convention is to buy something rather than simply use the roof for photos. Because openings, ownership and access change, it is worth asking your riad or a local guide which terraces are currently open to visitors.
The Chouara tannery, the largest and oldest of the Fes tanneries, is best seen from above, and the leather shops that surround it have terraces overlooking the stone vats. Shopkeepers commonly invite visitors up to look down over the dyeing pits, often handing out a sprig of mint to soften the strong smell. There is usually an expectation that you browse the leather goods, and a tip for the view is customary even if you do not buy.
The Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts, housed in a beautifully restored fondouk (caravanserai) near the carpenters' square, has a rooftop terrace that is open to visitors. From the top you get a view over this part of the medina and its rooftops, and it doubles as a quieter, more sheltered vantage point than the busy lanes below, reached after walking up through the museum's galleries.
For the classic citywide panorama, head to the hillside that rises north of the medina. Borj Nord, a 16th-century fortress built in the Saadian period that now houses the Arms Museum, and the nearby ruined Merinid (Marinid) Tombs both look out over the whole walled medina laid out below. This is the postcard view of Fes, taking in the entire sweep of rooftops and minarets in a single frame.
Late afternoon into sunset is the favourite time on any Fes rooftop. Low light warms the rooftops and the hills behind the city, and as dusk settles the call to prayer rises from the medina's many mosques and rolls across the bowl of the valley, overlapping from minaret to minaret. Many visitors single out a rooftop tea at this hour, with the city glowing below, as a highlight of their stay.
The simplest way to enjoy a Fes view is to settle on a café or riad terrace with a glass of sweet mint tea and watch the city. After the press and noise of the lanes below, the roofs are calm and open, with a breeze and a long view. It is less about a single famous spot than about pausing above the medina, tea in hand, and letting the scale of the old city sink in.
Rooftops give the cleanest shots of Fes el-Bali, with the rooftops, minarets and green-tiled mosque roofs reading clearly from above. Side light at the start and end of the day brings out the texture of the roofs, and a zoom helps isolate landmarks such as the minaret of the Qarawiyyin within the dense field of buildings. From the Borj Nord and Merinid hillside you can frame the whole medina at once.
Roof terraces in the medina often overlook neighbours' homes and courtyards, so it is polite to avoid pointing a camera directly into private spaces and to ask before photographing people. On café and shop terraces, remember you are a guest of a business: order something, browse the leather at the tannery viewpoints, and a small tip for access is normal. Dress modestly, as you would elsewhere in the medina.
A natural plan is to explore Fes el-Bali at street level, pausing at the Chouara tannery and Nejjarine terraces as you pass, then stop for a rooftop tea in the late afternoon and finish up on the Borj Nord and Merinid hillside for sunset over the whole city. Doing the climb to the hillside last lets you look back over the maze you have just walked through.
Because access to terraces changes and the medina is genuinely hard to navigate, a local guide can be the easiest way to find current rooftop viewpoints, time them for the best light, and handle the etiquette of buying tea or browsing leather in exchange for the view. A guide can also fold the tannery, Nejjarine and hillside vantage points into a single half-day around the medina.
Because Fes el-Bali is a deep, walled maze with few street-level vantage points, the best views come from above. Inside the medina, look for the rooftop terraces of riads, cafés and restaurants, the leather-shop terraces over the Chouara tannery, and the rooftop of the Nejjarine museum. For the classic citywide panorama, head to the Borj Nord and Merinid Tombs hillside just north of the medina.
Yes. Many riads and guesthouses have rooftop terraces, and a number of cafés and restaurants open their roofs to guests. The convention is to be a respectful guest and order something, such as a glass of mint tea, rather than use the roof only for photos. Because access and openings change, it is worth asking your riad or a local guide which terraces are currently open.
Late afternoon into sunset is the favourite time. Low light warms the medina rooftops and the surrounding hills, and as dusk falls the call to prayer rises from the many mosques and rolls across the valley. The softer light is also better for photography than the harsh midday sun.
Yes. On café and shop terraces you are a guest of a business, so order something or browse the goods, and a small tip for access is customary, especially at the tannery viewpoints. Avoid pointing your camera into neighbours' private courtyards, ask before photographing people, and dress modestly as you would elsewhere in the medina.
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