Why does it look European?

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ifrane

Ifrane

The Swiss-style town of Ifrane in the Middle Atlas at 1,650 metres

Hours

Always open

Entry

Free

Duration

30 minutes

Location

Ifrane, Fès-Meknès

A French Alpine fantasy in the Middle Atlas. Red roofs, clean streets, and a famous stone lion.

Little Switzerland

Ifrane was built by the French in the 1930s as a hill station — a cool-season retreat from the plains. The architecture is Alpine: pitched roofs, stone chalets, flower boxes. It looks absurd in Morocco and utterly convincing at the same time. The town sits at 1,665 metres in the Middle Atlas. In winter it snows. Moroccans from Fes and Meknes come to see snow.

The Town

French Alpine architecture transplanted to North Africa. The stone lion sculpture in the central garden is Ifrane's most photographed object — carved by a German POW during World War II. The Royal Palace has extensive grounds. Al Akhawayn University, Morocco's English-language university, occupies a campus on the town's edge.

Visiting

1.5 hours from Fes, 1 hour from Meknes. A quick stop on the way to the cedar forest or the Middle Atlas. The town itself takes 30 minutes — walk the garden, photograph the lion, note the surrealism. In summer it is a cool escape from the Fes furnace.

Best Time to Visit

Winter for snow. Summer as a cool escape from the plains.

Getting There

1.5 hours from Fes. On the road to Azrou and the cedar forest.

Local Tip

Built by the French as an Alpine resort in 1929. Incongruously European — red-roofed chalets, manicured gardens, clean streets. Known as "Little Switzerland." The stone lion statue is the most photographed object in town. Al Akhawayn University campus nearby.