Rabat

Morocco's capital and a UNESCO-listed city blending old and new: the blue-and-white lanes of the Kasbah of the Udayas, the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V.

Rabat is Morocco's capital and royal seat, on the Atlantic coast on the south bank of the Bou Regreg estuary, facing its sister city Salé across the river. In 2012 'Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City' was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering 12th-century Almohad walls and gates, the Kasbah of the Udayas from the 17th-century corsair republic, and the new town and tree-lined boulevards laid out under the French Protectorate. Compared with Marrakech and Fez, Rabat is clean, calm and largely free of touts, ideal for unhurried city walks.

Key areas: on the heights above the estuary, the Kasbah of the Udayas is known for its blue-and-white lanes, Andalusian Gardens and sea-view terrace. South of the kasbah lie Rabat's medina and Rue des Consuls, and farther southeast is the Hassan esplanade with the Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. In the south of the city are the ruins of the Chellah and the Royal Palace, while the new town along Avenue Mohammed V is home to the Parliament, St. Peter's Cathedral, the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the Museum of History and Civilizations. The Bou Regreg valley has recently gained the Zaha Hadid–designed Grand Theatre and the Mohammed VI Tower, one of Africa's tallest buildings; across the river, Salé's medina has its Great Mosque and Marinid madrasa. North of the city are the Bouknadel Exotic Gardens, and about 40 km farther north are the Kasbah of Mehdia and Lake Sidi Boughaba.

Getting there: Rabat–Salé Airport has direct flights from Europe. High-speed or regular trains from Casablanca take about 1 hour (the Al Boraq high-speed line continues north to Tangier in about 1.5 hours), and trains from Fez take about 2.5 hours. Two tram lines link Rabat and Salé, sights are easy to reach on foot or by small blue petit taxi, and you can cross the river to Salé in a rowing boat from below the Udayas.

Allow 2 days; Rabat also works as a base for a day trip to Casablanca. Apart from the Hassan esplanade, mosques are generally closed to non-Muslims, and modest dress is required to visit the mausoleum.

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