The Jnan Sbil are a pair of walled public gardens on the western edge of Fes el-Jdid, originally the private gardens of the royal palace and opened to the public in the 1960s. They are the greenest and most tranquil space in the old city — wide paths under eucalyptus and orange trees, a central pool with fountains, and benches where local families come to sit and talk in the evenings.
For travellers, the gardens are a necessary counterpoint to the claustrophobia of the medina. After hours inside Fes el-Bali, the open sky and shade of the Jnan Sbil are restorative. They are a short walk from Bab Boujeloud through Fes el-Jdid, or reachable directly by petit taxi. In the morning, when the gates open, they are nearly empty; in the late afternoon they fill with school children and families.