Marrakech, the multifaceted "Red City"

The Atlas Mountains rise majestically high above the ochre-colored stone buildings of the "Red City", the alleyways smell of orange blossom, spices and tanned leather - Marrakech, located in the Tensift river valley north of the High Atlas, reveals a new facet with every visit.

The first farming settlements of Berber ancestors already existed here in the Neolithic period, but Marrakech was officially founded in 1070 as the capital of the Almoravid dynasty. It soon grew into a hub between the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa. Morocco was a French protectorate in the 20th century and French is still spoken here today alongside Arabic and Tamazight. Morocco has been a kingdom again since 1956 - and Marrakesh has become a place of longing, not least for the hippies of the 60s and 70s. Trance-like Gnawa sounds, Sufi rituals and the feeling of a simple, communal life are condensed here into an esoteric counter-world.

The heart of the city beats in the medina, the historic center of the royal city. On the Djemaa el Fna - one of the most famous squares in the world - snake charmers move to the sound of pungi, while carpets, pottery, spices, meat, leather, fabrics and handicrafts are piled up in the narrow souks. If you want, you can take a ride along the 19-kilometer-long city wall from the twelfth century in a carriage and stop at the richly decorated Bab Agnaou.

Architectural highlights include the Bahia Palace, the Medersa Ben Youssef and the historic fondouks - once hostels for the caravans, now galleries, guesthouses and restaurants. In Marrakech, you can breathe in green spaces: in the Agdal Gardens near the Kasbah with the Saadian tombs or in the Jardin Majorelle, whose magical blue attracts visitors from all over the world.