2 Best Sights in Fez and the Middle Atlas, Morocco

Fez's Royal Palace and gardens are closed to the public, but even from the outside they're an impressive sight; inside are various palaces, 200 acres of gardens, and parade grounds, as well as a medersa founded in 1320. From Place des Alaouites, take a close look at the door's giant brass knockers, made by artisans from Fez el-Bali, as well as the imposing brass doors themselves.  The street running along the palace's southeast side is Rue Bou Ksissat, one side of which is lined with typically ornate residential facades from the Mellah's edge.  Security in this area is high and should be respected. Guards watch visitors carefully.

Among the medina's many hidden palaces, the extraordinary Dar al Glaoui is one of its most atmospheric. The Pasha of Marrakesh’s second home—he ruled over most of southern Morocco in his day—has fallen into disrepair since Morocco's independence from France in 1956, when his power waned. But amid the crumbling ruins of the late-19th-century structure, evidence of former grandeur is visible in the exquisite cedarwood doors, intricate stucco, tiled salons, and the carved wooden balconies that line its patios. The large estate comprised 17 buildings and two gardens, with ornate salons, an enormous kitchen, Koranic school, garages, stables, a harem, and a hammam. Abdou—an artist and one of the remaining family members—or his sister will show you some of its treasures.