Casablanca - from grotesque to sophisticated, it has it all

To say it right away - Casablanca is one of the most underrated metropolises in Morocco, perhaps in the world.

I often hear, when people ask me in a restaurant or shop about the most worth visiting cities in Morocco: "We heard you can skip Casablanca, right?", I have to answer: nnnnnnnno!!!

The reason why this assumption prevails probably has something to do with the strategy of European tourism companies. The mystical Marrakesh, which is tailored to tourist needs, or the "largest preserved medina in the world" as far as Fes is concerned, simply sound better!

But why should you visit Casablanca? Because you can have incredibly contradictory and unusual experiences here - imperfectionism included. Plus there's the sea breeze, which makes the climate in Casablanca mostly pleasant.

Let's start:

There is the old Medina, which seems to be infinitesimally small and dilapidated, especially when you see the high-rise buildings, some of which date back to the early 20th century, that border it. But if you lose yourself in it, you immediately get the typical souk feeling, like everywhere else in Morocco.

The Habbous district, which was ambitiously modelled on a classic Moroccan old town and is also called "the new Medina", is a must. Built in the 1920s and 1930s as a tribute to times gone by, it is an oasis of calm (at least compared to the rest of the city) and transports you to another world with its charm. The coffee houses are full of lively people who seem to be engrossed in intellectual conversations.

A gem are the houses of the Nouvelle Ville, built in the Art Deco style at about the same time as Habbous. These houses are daring architecture for the time - unintentionally bizarre and at the same time aesthetically pleasing; many would make the perfect Quentin Tarantino backdrop. You can travel through the district on the relatively new tram with its sleek design, saving you a few meters on foot.

The Hassan II Mosque, with the second highest minaret in the world, is not only an impressive building built directly on the seashore, it is particularly fascinating due to the fact that it was largely built using traditional craftsmanship techniques in the 1990s. It also has one of the most beautiful hammams.

The beach promenade "La Corniche" offers entertainment day and night, here you will find hip restaurants with an unusual concentration of high-quality food and creative "chefs". And of course there are clubs with popular DJs.

In Casablanca you can visit a huge flea market that takes place regularly, from vintage clothes to really cheap furniture bargains, you can also stumble across a lot of pointless, sometimes strange stuff - it's always fun. There are numerous shops with designer furniture, unusual concept stores, a hip street art scene, driven by the " Sbagha Bagha" street art festival and much more, and, like everywhere in Morocco, friendly, open-minded people who make the city worth visiting alone.

I could give you countless examples and tips for a brilliant trip to Casablanca, but I think it's now your turn to discover Morocco's largest city for yourself.

Fly there, & have fun, Marietta