Ifrane (Little Switzerland)

Ifrane is a planned hill town in Morocco's Middle Atlas, at about 1,650 m, founded during the French protectorate in the 1930s as a mountain resort. Its Alpine-style chalets with steep red roofs, tidy streets, parks and lakes give it the nickname Little Switzerland, a sharp contrast with the medinas of Fès and Meknès. The town's best-known landmark is the Stone Lion, a carved lion statue set in a small park near the centre and said to commemorate the last Atlas lion in the region. Visitors typically stroll along the tree-lined avenues, visit the parks and the Vallée des Rosiers, take photographs of the chalets and the lion, and stop at cafes. The campus of Al Akhawayn University, built in an Atlas-meets-Alpine style, is on the edge of town. Winters bring cold weather and often snow, drawing local visitors, while summers are cool and green, making Ifrane a popular escape from the heat of the plains. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant times, with mild weather and fewer people, while winter is best for snow. A visit takes two to four hours, longer if combined with the nearby cedar forests near Azrou and Michlifen. Crowds peak in summer and on weekends and holidays, when Moroccan families come for the cool air, and on snowy winter weekends. The town is reached by CTM bus or an ONCF train and bus connection from Fès in about an hour and 15 minutes, or by grand taxi at 40-50 MAD per seat. Entry to the town and parks is free, and photography is unrestricted.