Holiday in Ifrane

About Ifrane

Ifrane is the most astonishing city in Morocco - a place that looks nothing like North Africa, but rather resembles a Swiss alpine village in the Middle Atlas. Red-brown saddle roofs, well-kept front gardens, wide boulevards with flower beds, and an ice sculpture of a lion in the main square transport visitors to a European parallel universe. The city was established in 1929 by the French colonial administration as a summer retreat for officials in Fès and has preserved its unique architectural character to this day, earning it the nickname Little Switzerland or Morocco's Davos. Situated at an altitude of 1,665 meters, Ifrane offers a climate unmatched in Morocco: In winter, snow regularly falls, and the nearby Michlifen ski resort with its gentle slopes attracts Moroccan skiers, while summers remain pleasantly cool when the rest of Morocco swelters in heat. The city even holds a continental record: In February 1935, temperatures of minus 23.9 degrees Celsius were recorded here, the lowest ever registered in Africa. The true attraction of Ifrane lies in the surrounding nature: The cedar forests of the Middle Atlas, particularly the Forêt de Cèdres, are home to ancient Atlas cedars, the most famous of which, the Gouraud Cedar, is over 800 years old and 42 meters tall. These forests are inhabited by a population of Barbary macaques (Magots) that freely climb between the trees and approach visitors fearlessly. The lakes Dayet Aoua and Dayet Ifrah in the vicinity are a paradise for birdwatchers and offer spectacular migratory bird spectacles in autumn and spring. For German travelers, Ifrane provides a welcome coolness on a Morocco tour and is located just 60 kilometers south of Fès on the route to Errachidia and the Sahara. Al Akhawayn University, Morocco's most prestigious English-speaking university, gives the city a youthful, cosmopolitan flair.