Talaa Kebira (Great Slope Street), Fes

Cutting through Fès el-Bali and stretching all the way down to the Kairaouine Mosque, under various names, Talâa Kebira (Big Slope) stands out as the main thoroughfare of the Medina. It's not so much about specific landmarks as it is about the sensory overload you'll experience along the way: signs with camel heads pointing to the local butchers, vendors haggling in the spice and slipper markets, and donkeys hauling their loads up and down the bumpy lanes.

At the western end of the street, you'll find mostly produce markets, butchers, and other food shops. As you move past the Bou Inania Madrasa, the shops become more diverse, catering to both rural visitors and locals. A bit further down, you'll come across a group of fondouks – just a handful of the 200 or so that used to populate Fès el-Bali. Originally built around the same time as the madrasa, these were lodging houses for traders and their trusty mules: big two-story buildings with rooms surrounding spacious central courtyards.

Some notable examples include Bousl Hame at No. 49 Talaa Kebira (on the left), now home to an interesting drum workshop, and about 50 meters ahead, Qaât Smen (marked on the right), where you'll find a small market for butter and honey (you'll know you're close by the strong smell of smen – a fancy aged butter used in the best couscous). Just a bit further down (also on the right) is the rundown Fondouk Tazi, with a few pottery stalls and workshops, and a few meters away (on the left) is the mostly abandoned and quite smelly Fondouk Lbbata, piled high with sheepskins being prepared for curing and tanning.