Ouarzazate

Ouarzazate sits at 1,160 meters on a plateau between the High Atlas and the Sahara, serving as the crossroads between Morocco's mountain north and its desert south. Known as the "Hollywood of Africa," this sun-drenched city has served as the backdrop for some of cinema's most iconic productions, from Lawrence of Arabia (1962) to Gladiator (2000) and Game of Thrones. Atlas Studios, the largest film studio complex in the world, sprawls across the outskirts of town with preserved sets including Egyptian temples, Tibetan monasteries, and Roman gladiator arenas. Studio tours let you walk through these fantastical landscapes, which have also appeared in Kingdom of Heaven, The Mummy, and Babel. Just 30 km northwest lies Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Morocco's most photographed kasbah. This fortified village (ksar) rises in tiers of earth-colored towers along the Ounila River, its pisé (rammed earth) architecture representing the pinnacle of southern Moroccan building traditions. A handful of families still live within its walls. Ouarzazate's own Kasbah Taourirt, once the seat of the powerful Glaoui family, is an impressive labyrinth of rooms, passages, and towers. The Fint Oasis, a palm-filled valley 15 km south, offers a serene escape. The city is the starting point for trips to the Dades and Todra Gorges, the Draa Valley, and the great sand dunes of Erg Chebbi at Merzouga. The surrounding landscape is stark and beautiful: flat-topped mesas, red rock canyons, and the occasional kasbah silhouetted against a vast sky. Sunrise and sunset paint the terrain in shades of gold, rose, and purple that explain why filmmakers keep returning.