3 Days in Casablanca

Built by the French in the 1930s as a "model medina," the Quartier Habous blends Moroccan architecture with French urban planning. Wide lanes, uniform arcades, and excellent pastry shops. It's where Casablancais buy olives, spices, and traditional sweets. The Royal Palace is nearby (exterior only).

A courthouse that's a palace — 64 rooms with carved plaster, zellige, and painted cedar ceilings. It's a functioning court, so access depends on the day and the mood of the guards. When you can get in, it rivals the Bahia Palace in Marrakech for decorative richness.

If you enjoy modern shopping, Morocco Mall is the largest in Africa — 600 shops, an aquarium, an IMAX cinema, and sea views. Anfa Place is a newer open-air complex on the corniche. These give a sense of Casablanca's modern, cosmopolitan side.

The Gauthier and Maarif neighbourhoods have Casablanca's best restaurants. La Bodega for Spanish-Moroccan fusion, Blend for gourmet burgers, or Basmane for refined Moroccan. The restaurant scene here rivals any in Morocco — Casablanca is where Morocco's top chefs work.

The only museum in the Arab world dedicated to Jewish heritage. Morocco had 250,000 Jews until the 1960s; the community shaped the country's culture, music, and cuisine. The museum has Torah scrolls, menorahs, prayer shawls, and photographs documenting centuries of Moroccan-Jewish life.

A gorgeous Art Deco villa turned contemporary art gallery. Rotating exhibitions of Moroccan and international art in a building that's a work of art itself. The garden café is a peaceful spot for a break.

Walk to the Twin Center — Casablanca's twin 115m towers (Morocco's tallest for decades). The surrounding area is modern Casablanca at its most dynamic. End at Place Mohammed V for a final look at the Mauresque architecture illuminated at night.

Casablanca has Morocco's best nightlife. For dinner: Le Relais de Paris for French brasserie, or Dar Dada for traditional Moroccan in a modern setting. The bars and rooftop lounges in the Gauthier district come alive after 10 PM.

Take the morning train from Casa Voyageurs to Rabat Ville — the Al Boraq high-speed line makes the journey in under an hour. Rabat, Morocco's political capital, is elegant, calm, and UNESCO-listed. The contrast with Casablanca's energy is striking.

Start at Rabat's most beautiful spot — the 12th-century kasbah overlooking the Bou Regreg river. Blue-and-white lanes, an Andalusian garden, and Café Maure with views that rival any in Morocco. The kasbah is small enough to explore completely in an hour.

The iconic unfinished minaret (1199) was meant to be the tallest in the world. It stands beside the Mausoleum of Mohammed V — a masterpiece of modern Moroccan architecture with guards in traditional dress, Italian marble, and stunning craftsmanship.

Rabat's medina is one of the calmest in Morocco — a relaxed, whitewashed quarter with fewer tourists and less pressure. Browse the carpet shops on Rue des Consuls (the main commercial street since the 18th century) and enjoy the contrast with Casablanca.

Eat at Le Dhow (a restaurant on a moored ship on the Bou Regreg) or the medina restaurants for traditional tagines. Rabat has excellent food at lower prices than Casablanca.

The most atmospheric site in Rabat — a medieval walled necropolis built over Roman ruins. Fig trees grow through crumbling Islamic tombs, storks nest on Merenid minarets, and cats sun themselves on Roman columns. The mix of ruins from different eras is unique in Morocco.

Morocco's most important contemporary art museum. The collection spans Moroccan artists from the early 20th century to the present — a perspective on Morocco's culture that you won't find in any medina. The building itself is elegant and modern.

Take the train back to Casablanca. You've experienced both of Morocco's modern cities — the commercial powerhouse and the political capital. A final café stop in Casablanca makes the perfect end to 3 rich days.

End your 3 days at a café on Place Mohammed V or the corniche. You've seen Morocco's most modern side — a world away from the medina cities, but equally authentic and compelling.