Gueliz and Hivernage: guide to Marrakech's new town

Gueliz and Hivernage at a glance

Gueliz takes its name from Jbel Gueliz, the hill that bounds the district to the northwest. Under the French protectorate, a new town was planned here from 1913 onwards, with the backing of Resident General Lyautey and the urban planner Henri Prost. The planning rules of the time limited building heights and imposed the ochre colour still found throughout the city today.

The founding axis, Avenue Charles Mangin, linked the Koutoubia to the new district; it was renamed Avenue Mohammed V in 1957, after independence. Long inhabited mainly by European families, Gueliz has become the administrative and commercial centre of Marrakech, and one of its five arrondissements.

Hivernage lies further south, between the railway station, Gueliz and the medina walls. Its Arabic name means "the winter district": it recalls the European visitors who came to spend the cold season here. Today it is the district of hotels with pools, the Palais des Congrès and nightlife.

Finding your way: two avenues are enough

The new town is organised around two main axes that start from the medina. Keep them in mind and you will not get lost.

Avenue Mohammed V, the backbone of Gueliz

Avenue Mohammed V starts at the Koutoubia, runs alongside the Cyber Park, passes through the gate in the ramparts and heads northwest to Place du 16-Novembre, where it crosses Avenue Hassan II. The square is named after 16 November 1955, the day Sultan Mohammed V returned to Morocco from exile. From the Koutoubia to the square, allow about 1.7 km, or 20 to 25 minutes on foot. Beyond it, the avenue continues towards Jbel Gueliz.

Around the square, the streets of Gueliz form a regular grid: Rue de la Liberté, Boulevard Mohamed Zerktouni, Rue Mohammed el Beqal, Boulevard El Mansour Eddahbi. Shops, galleries, agencies and cafés are concentrated here.

Avenue Mohammed VI, the axis of Hivernage

Further south, Avenue Mohammed VI crosses Hivernage from north to south. Marrakech railway station marks its junction with Avenue Hassan II; heading south, you pass the Théâtre Royal, the Palais des Congrès and then Menara Mall. The Menara Gardens are about 2 km southwest of the district.

What to see in Gueliz

Gueliz is not visited like a museum: you stroll, shop and stop at café terraces. A few places are nevertheless worth a detour. Our Gueliz page gives a quick overview.

• The Church of the Holy Martyrs, Rue de l'Imam Ali: built in 1928 and consecrated in 1929, it is dedicated to the five Franciscans martyred in Marrakech in the 13th century. Its square bell tower is one of the district's landmarks. It still holds services; dress modestly and keep your voice down.
• Le Colisée cinema, Boulevard Mohamed Zerktouni: this cinema, opened in 1953, is still in operation and serves as a screening venue during the Marrakech International Film Festival.
• The central market, Rue Ibn Toumert: flowers, meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, in a market used mostly by local residents. It took over from the historic market on Avenue Mohammed V, replaced in 2014 by the Carré Eden shopping centre. See our Gueliz central market page.
• The Jardin Majorelle and the Musée Yves Saint Laurent, Rue Yves Saint Laurent, about 1 km northeast of Place du 16-Novembre. This is the most visited site in Gueliz: garden tickets are sold only online, on the official ticketing website. Details in our Jardin Majorelle and Musée Yves Saint Laurent pages.

South of Gueliz, between Avenue Mohammed V and the ramparts, the Cyber Park Arsat Moulay Abdeslam is a free public garden of about 8 hectares, planted with palm and orange trees. It is an ideal shady stop between the medina and the new town.

What to see in Hivernage

Hivernage is less a sightseeing district than a place to stay. Its main landmarks can be seen in a one-hour walk along Avenue Mohammed VI. See also our Hivernage page.

• The Théâtre Royal: designed by the architect Charles Boccara, with its dome and colonnaded rotunda, it stands opposite the station. Its exterior and its 1,200-seat open-air amphitheatre were inaugurated in 2001, but the opera hall has never been brought into service; completion works were relaunched in 2025.
• The Palais des Congrès: inaugurated in 1989, it hosted the signing of the Marrakesh Agreement in April 1994, which created the World Trade Organization. Today it is the main venue of the International Film Festival.
• Menara Mall: opened in 2015, this shopping centre brings together shops, restaurants and a hypermarket, useful for everyday shopping.
• The Menara Gardens: about 2 km southwest, their large pool and olive groves are free to visit; only the pavilion charges admission. Details in our Menara Gardens page.

In the evening, the action is in the hotels' restaurants, bars and clubs. Prices there are markedly higher than in the rest of the city: check the menu before you sit down.

Getting there and getting around

By train

Marrakech railway station, reopened in 2008 in a new building, stands at the junction of Avenue Mohammed VI and Avenue Hassan II, where Gueliz meets Hivernage. Its façade, with a large arch decorated with geometric patterns, is one of the gateways to the city. ONCF trains link Marrakech with Casablanca, Rabat and the north of the country. From the station, Place du 16-Novembre is about 900 m on foot, and Hivernage a few minutes away.

By taxi

The beige petits taxis are the easiest way to get from the medina to Gueliz or Hivernage: allow about ten minutes outside rush hour. Ask for the meter to be switched on when you set off, or agree on the fare before getting in. If you are arriving by plane, read our guide Marrakech-Menara airport: how to get to the city centre.

By bus and on foot

Several city bus lines serve Avenue Mohammed V and the station. The network changed operator in December 2025 and some lines have been modified since: check the line number at the stop or with the driver. On foot, the new town is easy to get around thanks to its wide pavements, but the heat makes long walks hard going in summer between noon and 17:00. Our guide getting around Marrakech covers all the options.

Summary: places in the new town

Prices as of October 2026.

Staying in Gueliz or Hivernage?

Gueliz suits you if you want to live at the city's pace: apartments, mid-sized hotels, cafés and shops on your doorstep, and the station nearby. Hivernage appeals to those looking for a hotel with a pool and garden, in a quiet setting, 25 minutes on foot from Jemaa el-Fna square. Either way, you will be sleeping far from the atmosphere of the medina: an evening on the square means a taxi ride back. To compare with riads, read our guide where to stay in Marrakech.

Further reading

An ideal day combines the medina in the morning, the Jardin Majorelle around midday and a late afternoon on a terrace in Gueliz. For the old town, follow our guide to the Marrakech medina, and start your walk towards the new town at the foot of the Koutoubia Mosque.