Visit Rabat

Perched above the mouth of the Bouregreg, the Kasbah of the Udayas dates from the Almohad era and is now a residential quarter of whitewashed walls trimmed in blue. You enter through a 12th-century monumental gate and leave through the Andalusian garden, beside which a café serves mint tea and gazelle horns facing the ocean. Below, the medina, more recent and more commercial than those of Fes or Marrakech, takes an hour or two along Rue des Consuls and Rue Souika, without heavy hassle.

On a plateau overlooking the river, Yacoub el Mansour began a gigantic mosque in the late 12th century, left unfinished at his death. Its minaret survives, about 44 m high, along with a forest of column stumps. Opposite stands the mausoleum where kings Mohammed V and Hassan II rest, open to visitors and guarded by horsemen in ceremonial dress. Entry is free; clothing covering shoulders and knees is expected. Allow an hour, and come preferably in late afternoon for the light on the ochre stone.

South of the medina, the town laid out after 1912 under Lyautey lines palm-planted avenues with Art Deco and neo-Moorish facades. Avenue Mohammed V brings together Parliament, the main post office and Rabat-Ville station, while the white towers of St Peter's Cathedral close off Place du Golan. This is also the museum district: the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the Museum of History and Civilisations are less than fifteen minutes' walk apart. Plan half a day to combine both.

South-east of the walls, the Chellah occupies the site of ancient Sala, a Roman town on which the Marinids built a royal necropolis in the 14th century. Roman ruins, a zellige-clad minaret and gardens overrun by storks take about an hour to visit. Further west, the Jardin d'Essais Botaniques, created in the early 20th century, offers a shady break. Beyond lies Agdal, a district of cafés, students and Rabat-Agdal station, where high-speed trains stop: handy for staying if you travel a lot by rail.

The river separates Rabat from its twin Salé, linked by tram bridges and, near the kasbah, by rowing boats that cross in a few minutes for a small fare. The riverbank has been entirely redeveloped: marina, promenade and the Grand Theatre of Rabat, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, while the Mohammed VI Tower, the country's tallest skyscraper, rises on the Salé bank. Salé's medina, rarely visited, keeps a great mosque and a 14th-century Marinid madrasa with remarkable stucco. Allow half a day for the round trip.

Rabat beach, below the Udayas, draws surfers and families, but the current is strong: swim only in supervised areas in summer. For day trips and onward travel, the city is a rail hub: about 1 hour to Casablanca, about 1 hour 20 by high-speed train to Tangier and about 4 hours to Marrakech. This position makes it a good first stop on a trip through Morocco, more restful than Casablanca for settling into the country's rhythm.