New Switzerland
So it turns out that based on our somewhat poor knowledge of a country like Morocco, this is a country located in Africa and there is quite hot, even in the winter season. However, Morocco has its own mountains, which have their own New Switzerland.
What is Ifran or New Switzerland Morocco
The first mention of such a city, Ifran, refers to the sixteenth century, when this city did not yet have such a title — New Switzerland — or the Moroccan ski resort of Mecca, located not so far from Marrakech. In those distant years, on this mountainous territory lived the Berber tribes, who were also called «cave» people.
And in this there is a certain amount of truth, because in translation from Berber «ifran» is translated as a cave, because in those years, the indigenous inhabitants of this area of Morocco really lived in caves dug in the ground. At the same time, this situation with housing construction continued until the fifties of the last century, when the local Berbers, with the permission of the French authorities, were able to erect their homes from more traditional materials, but over their primordial caves.
And if you, while staying in Ifran, ask the guide about where the French authorities are here, you will hear the answer that until 1956 Morocco was under the protectorate of France, as its colony. At the same time, the current attractions of Africa in the form of the resort of Ifran, was built by the French themselves, starting in 1929 in the image and likeness, that this territory, located at an altitude of almost two thousand meters above sea level, reminded them of the French Alps. So, exactly from this period in Ifran appeared the first buildings, made of baked brick and covered with European tiles.
Interesting places and attractions of this resort
And in the course of time, the first interesting places of Africa appeared in Iphran, namely the Catholic Cathedral, the post office and the Royal Palace of Sultan Muhammad ben Yusuf, which today are gladly shown to tourists by local tourist companies. However, these architectural monuments of the last century tour of the Iftran do not end.
Further tourist groups go to enjoy the scenery of the few rivers and lakes of this region, which is located in the Ifran National Park. And here there really is something to see, in addition to the magnificent cedar forest located there, there are the real Berber macaques and countless migratory birds. However, tourism Iphrane, as a ski resort, is based on a tourist village built in European style and in the winter season, when snow falls here, resembles the real French Alps.
How to get to Ifran
Where is Morocco itself, probably explain in more detail and not worth it, because everyone is quite well known for a resort such as Marrakech, which is included in almost all tourist tours in this African country. And from Marrakech to Ifran is just a stone’s throw away, just fifty kilometers on a fairly not bad road.