The Moroccan capital Rabat is a pleasant and neat city, that is large and varied enough to warrant at least half a day’s visit. Its overall feel is fairly modern, but not as harsh as Casablanca, and – as stated in its OUV - the 20th-century French town planners handled it with respect for the existing heritage. I walked its streets in a loop of about 11km: railway station – Medina – Kasbah – city walls - Hassan Tower – railway station. I skipped the Chellah (much further away) which I knew was closed for renovations, and also the Habous neighbourhood which seemed not to be worth a detour being a normal residential area with modernist influences.

I arrived by train from Casablanca, and then immediately found myself in the early 20th-century Ville Nouvelle. Notable buildings along Boulevard Mohammed V include the Post Office (photo top left) and the Railway Station. There’s lots of greenery as well, the roads are lined with palm trees.

Because I visited on a Friday morning, the Medina was deserted. That was an excellent opportunity to get some unobstructed pictures of the wooden balconies of the shops (photo top right).

The Kasbah is a major landmark of the city, but I found it a bit disappointing. The gate Bab Oudaya is said to be one of Maghreb’s most outstanding, however, the decorations did not hold my attention for long. I did enjoy the Andalusian gardens next door, hidden behind a wall (photo bottom left).

I then walked on southward. From the harbour parking lot, you have good views of the Kasbah and the Andalusian city walls. Across the street, they have put up an interesting collection of information cubes that highlight the various parts of the World Heritage nomination. I don’t think there is an official plaque.

A bit more uphill lies the Hassan Tower, which can be seen from afar but only photographed well when you’re inside its walled enclosure. The two main gates here are manned by two Royal Horse Guards each, as the unfinished 12th century Tower nowadays shares its space with the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V. The mausoleum was designed by a Vietnamese architect in the late 1960s and is a very fine piece of 20th-century architecture in my opinion (photo bottom right). In hindsight, this complex was my favourite part of Rabat because of its monumentality.

Finally, I walked back through the city center towards the railway station, passing also the slightly weird St. Peter’s Cathedral (some say it’s Art Deco).