Marrakech doesn’t just invite you to explore it, it demands it, so intoxicating is the colourful and cultural cacophony that echoes through its bustling streets.

This is a city where Europe, Africa and the Middle East mingle, creating a unique atmosphere that is always just that little bit out of the ordinary. Called the Red City, after the ochre tones of the beaten clay walls of the old medina (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Marrakech has a long and fabled history, something that can be felt particularly strongly in Djemaa el-Fna. Here, the huge square at the heart of the city, you’ll find an old world, a place where snake charmers still entertain and the scent of cooking with aromatic spices drifts tantalisingly on the air.

On a Morocco holiday, visiting Marrakech’s centuries-old souks is another must, seemingly endless alleyways lined with stalls selling all sorts of irresistible trinkets. It’s here, among the labyrinthine hubbub, that you can feel at your most ‘local’, haggling with traders over jewel-coloured lamps or carpets, and feeling like you’re one corner away from discovering the city’s mesmerising secrets.