Casablanca, the classic film which cast the city as sulty backdrop in a tale of romantic fate, simultaneously created a legend of place, one to which the real town scarcely lives up. Compared with Marrakesh, Fes, or even Tangier, Casablanca is rather limited in its appeal. With its colossal mosque and contemporary skyscrapers, this 7th century settlement-turned-20th century-metropolis is a place where tradition and modernity meet for an anti-climax.

Visitors will most enjoy the old Medina, still encircled by its ramparts at the city’s northern end. Also, there is the sunny stone squala, whose aging cannons for nearly two centuries have faced out onto the ocean in case of trouble.

The Quartier Habous, modern medina built up in the 1920s, displays some lovely architecture of an epoche – wrought iron balconies, tile mosaic facades, and carved stone detailing in the Andalusian-style. A popular stroll can be found in the Parc de la Ligue Arabe. Here, in the enormous garden, locals dine on café terraces while palm trees toss their plumes on grand avenues.