Marrakech – A Foray into Magic and Mystery

If Morocco is on your list as being one of the countries you would like to explore one day, surely you must spend some time in one of the kingdom’s largest cities, Marrakech.

This city is alive with different scents and colors weaving a tapestry of seductions befitting the most discerning elite travelers.

Here, we’ve highlighted five reasons you should visit Marrakech at least once in your life.

An A-Maze-Ing Medina

A medina is typically a walled area within a city with many narrow and maze-like streets and Marrakech has one that is outstanding. It is so incredibly magical and historical that this largest medina in North Africa has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its winding, meandering streets are awash with local chatter, opulent doorways with intricate Moorish designs and notable monuments.

Exploring the medina on foot is a thrill as you get oriented in the web of narrow streets. It can be incredibly hectic, but it’s that much more rewarding when you locate historical jewels like the 19th century Bahia Palace and sniff out Rue de Bab Debbagh for its leather tanneries.

You’ll eventually find yourself in Djemaa el-Fna square – the star of the medina. There’s constant action within this open-air theater, especially at night when storytellers, henna artists, dancers and other entertainers beckon onlookers with their exotic creativity.

Seeking Out the Sensational Souk

A souk, or market, is brimming with goods organized by section. While you’re browsing all the amazing handbags, artisanal jewelry and deciding how much locally-sourced saffron you want to outfit your pantry with at home, you can be nibbling on fresh olives. A souk is a wonderful way to meet and chat with local people and vendors like to negotiate, so it’s a way for you to keep up with your skills!

A Multitude of Mosaics

Marrakech captures the prize for some of the most ornate and brilliant tile work in the world. Whether it’s a fountain tucked around an inconspicuous corner or the mosaics at the Saadian tombs that were hidden for nearly 200 years, there are many decadent patterns in an array of colors. Painted, cut and all placed by hand, no tile masterpiece is the same and each makes an area much more unique and beautiful. From a distance, you can spot the blue tile on the tower of Koutoubia mosque and wander through Ben Youssef Madrasa, a stunning old Islamic college. These kaleidoscopic pieces of artwork have the ability to really draw you in with their bountiful attention to detail.

Breathtaking Jardin Majorelle

Once the passion project of French painter Jacques Majorelle (who spent 40 years building it), this house and garden complex was purchased by fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent in the 1980s. This beautiful venue is now one of the most visited (and photographed!) sights in all of Marrakech with about 900,000 visitors every year. French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé bought Jardin Majorelle in 1980 to preserve Majorelle's vision and to keep it open to the public.

It contains a psychedelic desert mirage of 300 plant species from five continents. At its heart lies Majorelle's electric-blue art deco studio, home to the Musée Berbère showcasing the rich panorama of Morocco's indigenous inhabitants through displays of some 600 artifacts. The YSL Foundation expanded the gardens in December 2018 by opening up the section containing Villa Oasis, where Bergé lived until his death in 2017.

With all the amazing things you will see in Marrakech, you will need a luxurious, private space for you to unwind every day and that would definitely be glamorous Villa Gemma with its endless options for relaxation and entertainment. This stunning, exotic home has its own nightclub, massage room, gym, theater, sauna, hammam and elevator. It’s also a smart home. You also have a heated outdoor pool for lounging with your favorite cocktail or beverage. Remember, too, that you will have 24/7 support and full services while staying at Villa Gemma.

Saadian Tombs

Saadian Sultan Ahmed Al Mansour Ed Dahbi was just as extravagant in death as he was in life. After the "golden king" built Badia Palace in the 16th century, he transformed an existing necropolis into this lavish tomb complex, sparing no expense and importing Italian Carrara marble and gilding honeycomb muqarnas (decorative plasterwork) with pure gold. Al Mansour died in 1603, but a few decades later, Alaouite Sultan Moulay Ismail walled up the Saadian Tombs to keep his predecessors out of sight and mind. The mausoleum lay forgotten until aerial photography exposed it in 1917.

LVH is prepared to plan an exclusive Marrakech vacation for you at your request! We understand your time is invaluable, so we will ensure we not only have you staying in the lap of luxury at an elite, private home, but we will also fashion an itinerary for you with all those things that will make your heart flutter and have you smiling every moment. We invite you to reach out to one of our client relations team members who will begin onboarding you for the exotic vacation you’ve been wishing for. At LVH we make vacation dreams happen and we can’t wait to make yours come true, too!