After the time in Marrakech I decided to visit the coast line. This blog article is about 3 cities I have been visiting there. I stayed at all of them some nights, sometimes worth it, sometimes not…
For the whole trip I took the train, which is actually pretty convenient and cheap. It’s also, compared to “Deutsche Bahn” , always on time.
Casablanca
First stop, Casablanca. And I booked that city due to the famous name. The famous movie. But do you know that the film never was filmed here? It was filmed in Hollywood. The famous cafĂ© of the Movie (Ricks cafe) does exist, but only because a good business man just realized a good business. Besides that, the city is awful. It’s dirty, loud, unfriendly, and nothing to do for tourists. And due to all the garbage on the streets, they have a huge pigeon problem.
Besides, yes Besides ONE pig point: the magnificent Hassan II Mosque, an architectural marvel built partially over the Atlantic Ocean. Its sheer scale and exquisite craftsmanship, featuring the world’s tallest minaret, make it an essential sight.Â
The Hassan II Mosque is a building of superlatives, impressive in its dimensions and details:
| Feature | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Construction Start | 1986 | |
| Opening | 1993 | |
| Minaret Height | 210 Meters | The tallest minaret in the world. |
| Total Capacity | 105,000 People | 25,000 in the prayer hall, 80,000 in the courtyard. |
| Prayer Hall | 20,000 Square Meters | Accommodates 25,000 worshippers. |
| Construction Costs | 585 Million Euros | Estimated costs (varying figures). |
| Marble | 10,000 Tons | Used for the facade and interior decoration. |
| Artisans | Over 6,000 People | Involved in the construction phase. |
| Roof | Refractable | A part of the roof can be opened in 5 minutes. |
| Laser Beam | 30 Kilometers | The tip of the minaret projects a green laser beam towards Mecca. |
The doors of 13 to 18 tons, the sheer size, I was stunned. The cravings, the marple, the floor, even the bath in the basement.. I am rarely speechless, but this time it happened.
You definitely should spend an hour on the tour. It’s more than worth it. But be cautious about the story the guide is telling you. They don’t tell you that the Mosque was built in slavery -like working model and the people had to pay for the mosque. I would call it a “forced donation”.
I left Casablanca earlier than originally planned, but arriving in Rabat already proved me right!
Rabat
Arriving in Rabat was like arriving home. The capital of Morocco is like the always nicely dressed grandma in your family, always looking ready for a gala dinner, even while taking out the trash. The reason why Rabat is always like this: the King lives here, and sure, his direct backyard needs to be as clean and organized as possible.
In Rabat, I started walking again, to the beautiful buildings, a very beautiful medina, and beautiful historical sites. But I also started enjoying the weather more; I had some coffee in cafes in the afternoon, just enjoying the time and reading a book.
Definitely worth a visit is Kasbah Oudaya. Perched at the mouth of the Bou Regreg river in Rabat, the Kasbah of the Udayas is a stunning 12th-century fortress known for its striking blue-and-white washed walls and winding cobblestone alleys. Be aware of locals trying to scam you!
On the terrace at the back of the Kasbah, I had a beautiful view of the Bou Regreg river.Â
Some very famous other historical places are looking forward to welcoming you, so I visited the Chellah Castle with its hundreds of storks and the Hassan tower.
I chose not to visit the King’s Palace primarily because of the requirement to hand in your passport upon entry and retrieve it only upon leaving. Furthermore, I learned that access to the actual palace is restricted.
Tangier
My last city before getting in the car to ride to the desert was Tangier. A city in the very north of Morocco, so close that I was able to see Gibraltar from the balcony of my hotel. Tangier was the only place on my trip where I decided to go for a luxury hotel, at the beach, with a water view. The beach is clean, the water nice, but during the day it was just too hot to stay on the beach.
During the day, the nearby marina invited me for coffee and cake 🙂
At night, the beach promenade got a little bit of an “Ocean-Drive” vibe, but unfortunately the number of clubs and bars was close to zero. Therefore, I went to the liquor store to buy beer, went out on my balcony, and enjoyed the view and the nice breeze.
One day, I decided to walk around the city. As Tangier is located on a hill, it’s always up and down; it reminded me a little bit of San Francisco. Especially the steep streets with an ocean view at the very end—that was so “SF”-ish. Walking to the top of the city was worth it, as the view from there was stunning.
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