This might be a contentious and slightly disrespectful viewpoint, but modern Marrakech to me was kind of boring. The area around the Gueliz, or European Quarter, was just not that exciting. To me it felt like a dirty version of Europe.
The shops are largely familiar brands like LaCoste and Levi’s. The restaurants are either McDonald’s, KFC, or some austere yuppy joint.
Also notable is the distance between things. One night I wandered out of the walls of the Medina and walked what seemed miles and miles through empty space. On my long walk I ended up near the Marrakech Sofitel hotel, a place where the crappy 70′s motorcycles and Mercedes and Renault vehicles had been replaced by the latest Porsche Panamera.
Then I walked another bunch of miles in the hot night air before I finally stumbled on a Haagen Dazs shop. This is hardly what I was looking for.
Anyway, my point is that the European part of Marrakech is exactly that — European. It is interesting to see briefly, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it. Also, from a safety perspective I felt way more safe in the Medina at night than I did wandering the streets of modern Marrakech at night, where I would ofter go a mile down a very poorly lit street before even encountering another building. The one good point about the Gueliz is that there are a few bars and nightclubs, which you won’t find inside the Medina. Many Riads will serve wine, but overall the Medina is a non-drinking place.
It’s just my take, but unless you came to Marrakech to eat KFC, the Medina is a far more culturally enriching experience.
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