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With only a week's vacation and a spirit of adventure, families can dig deep into a thriving culture of Morocco and share it with kids, who will respond with great enthusiasm.

These days, contemplating any family trip lasting more than four days seems like an exercise in futility.  Work, school, life -- all intervene in our efforts to remain somewhere “other” long enough to understand a different culture. But in exotic destinations like Morocco, where Islamic architecture and camels coexist with fast food restaurants and soccer teams, families can get a huge cultural bang for their buck in a very brief stay.

Beginning at the Heart: Fez

At the heart of all that is Morocco lies Fez (or Fes), founded in 789 by Idris I and his son, Moulay Idris II and populated by Arab refugees from Spain’s Andalucia (el-Andalus). One of four so-called Imperial Cities (along with Rabat, the current capital; Meknes; and Marrakech), Fez’ commercial success made the city one of the world’s largest in the late 12th century.

We arrived in Fez after taking an express ferry from Spain to Tangier, then a very slow and not so colorful train from Tangier to Fez. (On this train was an intrepid couple from Maryland with three kids between the ages of 3 and 8 who were on an eight-week sabbatical in Fez.)  From any Moroccan train station, families with luggage will need to hire a taxi to get to their hotel, and this is perhaps the toughest negotiation of all, though Moroccan train officials and police will respond to broken French and happily assist you in negotiating a fair price with drivers.

Today, Fez’ historic medina (walled inner city known as Fez el Bali) is thought to be one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world.  It’s the most intriguing of the city’s three main areas: the contemporary and surprisingly stylish Nouvelle Ville, where locals watch passersby from the outdoor cafes lining broad boulevards; and the medina of Fel el Jadida.  Here some other historic attractions, the Mellah or fascinating Jewish quarter, and the celebrated Palais Jamai Hotel, now a Sofitel, are located.

Fez el Bali, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, has a hypnotic power to transport visitors back a millennium. Along its soiled and sooty cobblestone lanes are butchers carving whole lambs; tanners and dyers creating decorative leather goods; blacksmiths pounding copper, tin and ironwork; masons tiling new buildings and restoring mosaics; tailors repairing homespun blankets; and myriad other artisans.  Instead of “cleaning it up,” UN funds have been sparingly used to renovate sections of the medina’s outer wall, restore historic mosques and medrassahs, and provide running water.  According to our guide (and a guide is essential here), Morocco’s priority has been to fund training programs for young apprentices at Fez’ many workshops. Acutely aware of the importance of sustainable tourism, the Fez government is committed to maintaining the city’s status as Morocco’s capital of traditional arts while upgrading its infrastructure for citizens.