8 Best Hidden Gems in Casablanca

Casablanca's city centre contains one of the world's largest and most significant collections of Art Deco architecture — and almost nobody knows it. Between 1920 and 1940, the French Protectorate government commissioned dozens of architects to build a modern city alongside the old medina, and they produced a Deco masterpiece. Boulevard Mohammed V alone is a gallery of 1930s design: curved balconies, geometric tilework, ornate iron railings, and streamlined facades that rival anything in Miami, Shanghai, or Mumbai. The highlights include the Central Post Office (1918, a stunning neo-Moorish building), the Cathédrale du Sacré-Cœur (1930, now a cultural centre — a white concrete cathedral in geometric Art Deco with Islamic-influenced arches), the Cinema Rialto (a Streamline Moderne gem), and dozens of residential and commercial buildings along the surrounding blocks. The architecture tells the story of a moment when European Modernism and Moroccan craftsmanship collided — producing buildings that are neither purely French nor purely Moroccan but something unique. The trail covers roughly 2 km and can be walked in 90 minutes.

The Quartier Habous — a "new medina" built by French architects in the 1920s-30s — is one of Casablanca's most surprising and least-known districts. The concept was remarkable: French urban planners designed a new neighbourhood in traditional Moroccan architectural style, with covered souks, arcaded streets, tiled fountains, and a mosque, but with modern infrastructure (drainage, electricity, wider streets). The result is an idealised version of a Moroccan medina — cleaner, more ordered, and less chaotic than the original, but built with genuine craft and beauty. Today, the Quartier Habous is an excellent shopping destination: the olive and spice souk is one of Casablanca's best, the pastry shops (especially Pâtisserie Bennis, legendary since 1940) sell some of Morocco's finest almond-and-honey pastries, and the carpet and antique shops offer good quality at fair prices. The Royal Palace (closed to visitors) is adjacent, and the Mahkama du Pacha (a monumental courthouse with extraordinary carved plaster ceilings) is a few blocks away.

The Villa des Arts — a beautifully restored 1934 Art Nouveau villa in the Parc de la Ligue Arabe neighbourhood — is Casablanca's finest art gallery and one of Morocco's most important contemporary art spaces. The villa itself is a work of art: curved facades, ornate ironwork, floral tilework, and generous windows that flood the galleries with natural light. Inside, the Fondation ONA (one of Morocco's largest corporations) funds rotating exhibitions of Moroccan and international contemporary art. The quality is consistently high: past exhibitions have featured major Moroccan artists (Mahi Binebine, Hassan Hajjaj, Lalla Essaydi) alongside international names. The villa also hosts concerts, film screenings, and cultural events. The garden — with mature trees, sculpture, and a terrace café — is a peaceful counterpoint to Casablanca's busy streets. The Villa des Arts represents the sophistication of Casablanca's cultural scene — a side of the city that most visitors never see.

Casablanca's Old Medina — the original walled quarter near the port — is one of the city's most overlooked areas. Most visitors head directly to Hassan II Mosque (which is adjacent but technically outside the medina walls), then leave without entering the medina itself. This is a mistake. The Old Medina is compact (walkable in 30 minutes) and retains the atmosphere of a working Moroccan quarter: narrow alleys with whitewashed walls, neighbourhood mosques, local shops selling everyday goods (not tourist souvenirs), and small cafés where elderly men drink mint tea and play cards. The medina walls date from the 18th century, and several gates (bab) are still standing. The Clocktower (a 1911 French colonial addition) rises above the medina, a curious blend of cultures. Inside, the Shrine of Sidi Allal el-Kairaouani (a small mosque with a beautiful tiled interior) is the spiritual heart of the quarter. The medina connects directly to Hassan II Mosque via a short walk along the corniche.

The Beth-El Synagogue — in the Lusitania neighbourhood, south of the city centre — is one of the largest active synagogues in the Arab world and a powerful symbol of Morocco's Jewish heritage. The building (1947) is a striking Art Deco structure: a white facade with geometric patterns, a grand entrance hall, and an interior with soaring arched ceilings, carved wooden galleries, and ornate brass chandeliers. The synagogue serves Casablanca's Jewish community — the largest in the Arab world (approximately 2,500 people, down from 250,000 in the 1940s). Morocco's relationship with its Jewish heritage is unique in the Muslim world: King Mohammed V famously refused to hand over Moroccan Jews during World War II, and the current king, Mohammed VI, has invested in restoring synagogues and Jewish cemeteries across the country. The Beth-El Synagogue represents this ongoing coexistence. The Museum of Moroccan Judaism (in the same neighbourhood) provides deeper context.

Parc de la Ligue Arabe — Casablanca's grand central park, designed in 1918 by the famous French landscape architect Forestier (who also designed the Bois de Boulogne in Paris) — is one of the city's most beautiful and least-visited spaces. The park occupies a long rectangle in the heart of the city centre, with palm-lined avenues, geometric flower beds in the French formal style, mature palm and ficus trees, bandstands, fountains, and benches shaded by towering eucalyptus. At one end, the Cathédrale du Sacré-Cœur anchors the park with its white Art Deco bulk. The park is a living room for Casablanca residents: families walk after dinner, joggers circle the paths in the early morning, university students study on the benches, and couples sit under the palms. The atmosphere is quintessentially Casablancan — cosmopolitan, relaxed, and graceful. The park connects several key sites (the cathedral, the Villa des Arts, the Hyatt Regency) and makes a pleasant green corridor through the city centre.

The Marché Central (Central Market) — a covered market near Boulevard Mohammed V — is Casablanca's most vivid daily spectacle and one of the best food markets in Morocco. The market is at its most dramatic at dawn, when the fish merchants receive the night's catch: crates of sardines, mackerel, sea bream, squid, octopus, prawns, and the occasional swordfish or tuna are unloaded, iced, and displayed on marble slabs. The shouting, the fish-slapping, the early-morning energy is extraordinary. Beyond fish, the market has excellent produce (seasonal fruits, vegetables, olives, preserved lemons), butchers, and a handful of simple restaurants where you can eat grilled fish at communal tables for remarkably low prices. The market building itself is a fine 1917 Art Deco structure with a central atrium. The atmosphere is authentically Casablancan: businessmen buying fish for dinner, housewives selecting vegetables, restaurant chefs inspecting the catch, and tourists (a tiny minority) trying to take it all in.

The Anfaplace neighbourhood — in Casablanca's upscale Anfa district — has emerged as the city's contemporary art hub, with a cluster of galleries, creative spaces, and design studios that showcase the best of Moroccan and international contemporary art. The anchor is Anfaplace Living Art, a curated gallery and retail space in a modern development that features rotating exhibitions of painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media by emerging and established Moroccan artists. Several independent galleries in the surrounding streets add depth: you can walk between galleries in 15 minutes, seeing work that ranges from traditional Moroccan calligraphy reimagined in neon to photography of the changing Casablancan streetscape. The neighbourhood is also Casablanca's design district: furniture showrooms, interior design studios, and concept stores sell contemporary Moroccan design that blends traditional craft with modern aesthetics. This is the Casablanca that Casablancans themselves celebrate — creative, cosmopolitan, and looking forward.