Exploring Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen, a small town in the north of Morocco is a little different than most villages. Arabian tradition meets a beautiful nature surrounded by mountains and meadows. The trip from the more popular city Fès takes around three hours but it is very worth it. The architecture is very medieval and the arabic style presents itself in a photographic way that is unique in its appearance.
The city is ca. 600 meters above sea level and in contrast to the coastal villages can be very cold during the winter days. Tourism reaches a high during the summer, but the alleyways offer a very impressive light display all year long.
Blue Heaven
The trademark of Chefchaouen is the blue color whose origins aren’t fully resolved. One theory is that Jews introduced the blue color and the tradition continues until today. Another speculation is, that the blue keeps mosquitos away from the houses. Most likely the blue color represents the sky and is a symbol of leading a spiritual life which is a mindset that is very present in Chefchaouen today.
Photos and Text by Lu WenPeng
The name “Blue City” tells all about this city. It took me a little more than 4 hours to go to Chefchaouen from Fes by bus. You can also choose to get there from Tangier. It will take only 2h30.
I was very worried before my travel when I learned that it would rain from the weather forecast. Chefchaouen is always linked with the sunny weather. Most of the photos of Chefchaouen are full of sunlight and blue sky. It did rain all the two days when I stayed in Chefchaouen but it turned out to be a good experience anyway.
It rained but not too heavily, so I could go out taking photos under an umbrella. The blue colors had more details and nuances because of the marks of water. And the blue seemed to dissolve in the the rain and the humid air. As expected, the colorful umbrellas increased the appeal and contrast in the blue background.
Chefchaouen is a little town , you don’t really need a map or a guide for going around to discover every corner. You can just try every little road, every turn, as I did, and you would have many good surprises.
Local people are friendly and the places are safe even at evening. Certain persons, specially among the aged people and women, are not very open to the camera for some religious or superstitious beliefs, nonetheless it was a very unique experience with a good amount of pictures.
Stay Curious
Sebastian Jacobitz
