Walking Tour of Casablanca, Morocco

     My walk begins at the Place des Nations Unies, a square surrounded by elegant residential buildings. Wander around the square, being sure to peek into the Hyatt Regency Hotel for evocative allusions to the Bogart-Bergman film, Casablanca.

     From here, walk south on Avenue Hassan II. When you reach Place Mohammed V, admire the splendid government buildings, such as the Prefecture, with its tall bell tower, the Palais de Justice, and the Post Office, as well as the beautiful fountains.

     Further south is the Parc de la Ligne Arabe, which, besides the stately trees and colorful flowers, features two churches, Eglise du Sacre-Coeur and Eglise Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes.

     Leave the park at its northeastern corner and walk southeast on Avenue Mers Sultan, then turn left onto Rue Mostafa el Masni. When you reach Place du 20 Aout, head north on Boulevard Hassan Seghir, and turn left onto Boulevard Mohammed V. Check out the Central Market, on your right. As you continue westward, notice the interesting Art Deco and Art Nouveau buildings which line the length of the street.

     When you get to Boulevard Tahar el Alaoui, turn right, and then venture into the Old Medina, through either Bab Marrakech or Bab el-Jehdid, two of the original gates of the city. Wander the jumble of narrow streets and then return to your starting point by taking Boulevard Tahar el Alaoui south, across Avenue des Forces Armees Royales, to Place des Nations Unies. Before finishing your exploration of Casablanca, take a taxi to the city’s most impressive sight, the Mosque of Hassan II, the largest mosque in all of Africa. Its Minaret (the Lighthouse of Islam), is breathtaking. The guided tour of the interior is well worth the time and money.