Bahia Palace, Marrakech

A 19th-century palace built for a grand vizier, with courtyards, gardens of orange trees and rooms decorated with the finest Moroccan craftsmanship: carved and painted cedar ceilings, zellige tilework and carved plaster. The great courtyard, paved in marble, is huge.

It's in the south of the medina, near the Mellah (the old Jewish quarter) and the El Badi Palace ruins, with storks nesting on its walls. Go early to avoid the tour groups. For a taste of old luxury, have a drink or tea at La Mamounia, Marrakech's grandest hotel, which Winston Churchill loved, with beautiful gardens.