NICE PLACES STEPS FROM THE RIAD

Casbah of the Oudayas

The Casbah is a former fortified military camp built in the 12th century. It overlooks the mouth of the Bou Regreg river and faces the town of Salé. The enclosure is pierced by its famous monumental Bab el-Kébir gate, one of the emblems of Almohad architecture. Every year, the site hosts the international arts and culture festival “Été des Oudayas”. (8 minutes walk)

Andalusian Gardens

The Hispano-Moorish style garden was created in the 1920s, during the French protectorat, by Tranchant de Lunel, resident-general Hubert Lyautey's favorite architect, who completely redesigned it and made it what it is today. It is located at the foot of the palace of the Casbah of the Oudayas, former home of the Alaouite sultans during their stay in Rabat. (6 minutes walk)

Rabat Beach

Rabat beach is located at the mouth of the Bouregreg river, witch separates it from the opposite beach of Salé, that you can reach by boat. It is a large beach of fine sand. As it is protected from the big waves by the pier, you can learn to surf or windsurf at one of the many schools located there, or just rent an umbrella and a chaise longue and have a rest. (14 minutes walk)

Bou Regreg River

The Bou Regreg river originates from the Middle Atlas mountains and descends to its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean separating the cities of Rabat and Salé. Its estuary is bordered by the Casbah of the Oudayas. Its name comes from the large population of storks present in the river valley : “Bou” is a possessive adverb and “Regreg” means “storks”. (7 minutes walk)

Boatmen and Fishermen

Boatmen and fishermen have shared the Bou Regreg activities for several centuries. The boatmen ensure the crossing of the river between Rabat and Salé. Originally, they unloaded goods and passengers from ships which could not pass the ocean bar and dock and which anchored offshore. These boatmen on their rowboats often risked their lives. (7 minutes walk)

Medina of Salé

By crossing the Bouregreg on the boats, you can access the medina of Salé, one of the oldest medinas of Morocco. It is surrounded by ramparts with seven monumental gates and includes a 14th century madrasa (school). In the 17th century, Salé became a haven for Barbary corsairs, who formed an independent Republic of Salé. (29 minutes walk and boat)

Mohammed V Avenue

Mostly developed between 1915 and 1932, the avenue gives a prime example of urban design in the context of the French protectorate, in which first resident-general Hubert Lyautey promoted the creation of "new cities" next to the older medinas that were preserved in their traditional urban form. It is lined with a number of iconic buildings like the central Rabat post office or the head office of Bank Al-Maghrib. (11 minutes walk)

Hassan District

The Hassan district is a Rabat neighbourhoud bordering the medina and the Bou Regreg River. It is both historic and very lively. There are many houses and villas built during the protectorate. In Hassan, you can find recently rehabilitated parks and also many local cafes and restaurants, as well as small sidewalk vendors selling all kinds of products. In this district take place events, concerts, festivals, exhibitions. (11 minutes walk)

National Theatre Mohamed-V

The National Theatre was founded in 1962. It is situated in the Hassan district and is one of the main theater scenes in Morocco. It offers a very rich and varied program of shows and festivals : plays, concerts, movies, operas and ballets. Part of its programming is developed in partnership with the foreign cultural centers that are active in Rabat, for example the French Institute, the Cervantes Institute, the Italian cultural Center. (16 minutes walk)

MMVI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

The museum, founded by Mohammed V, curates modern and contemporary Moroccan and international art. It has a permanent collection of Moroccan artists from the 20th and 21st centuries and presents temporary international exhibitions. (26 minutes walk)

Villa des Arts

Situated in a majestic villa built in 1929, the "Villa des Arts", a contemporary art space, a place of creation, entertainment and meetings, aims to raise awareness and promote Moroccan artistic heritage. It includes a forum for shows, a garden, exhibition galleries, workshop spaces. (30 minutes walk)

Museum of History and Civilisations

This museum, opened in 1932, contains the most extensive collection of archaeological artifacts found in the country. It is intended to present the history of Morocco from prehistory to the Islamic era, including the Phoenician and Roman times. It has a first-rate collection of Hellenistic-style bronzes. (28 minutes walk)

Hassan Tower and Mohammed V's Mausoleum

The tower, commissioned near the end of the 12th century, was intended to be the largest minaret in the world and the mosque would have been the largest in the western Muslim world. The tower, along with the remains of the mosque and the modern Mausoleum of Mohammed V, is one of the symbols of Rabat. (21 minutes walk)

St. Peter's Cathedral

The cathedral was built during the French protectorate in Morocco. It was inaugurated in 1921 by the resident general Hubert Lyautey. The two spiers that can be seen from afar in Rabat were completed in the 1930s. The circular square where it is located is characteristic of the architecture of this time. She is in office : mass is celebrated there daily. (19 minutes walk)

The French Institut of Rabat

The French Institute of Rabat is promoting all aspects of French culture and is located in the former presbytery of St. Peter's Cathedral. It notably includes a large library, an art residence and a recording studio. It offers a rich and regular cultural program of events, shows and festivals in several sites in the city, for example a film festival. (21 minutes walk)

National Museum of Photography

The museum, opened in 2020, is installed in Fort Rottembourg, a fortification erected at the end of the 19th century by a German engineer on the Corniche of Rabat in order to house two 30-ton cannons from Hamburg offered by the Germans. (23 minutes walk)

National Jewellery Museum

An ethnographic museum, that opened in 2023, located in the Andalousian Gardens. Through its collections, it aims to represent the history and geography of Morocco, including the cultural specificities of each region and the workshops for the production of the pieces. (6 minutes walk)

Grand Theâtre of Rabat

It is located on the left bank of the Bouregreg river. The building is one of the last works of Zaha Hadid, one of the leading contemporary architect. The theater has two performance halls : one of them is intended for an audience of 2000 spectators. (30 minutes walk)

Marinid Madrasa of Salé

The Madrasa is a medieval educational institution located within the medina of Salé It was built in the 14th century by the Marinid sultan Abu al-Hasan next to the Grand Mosque of Salé and it is notable for its rich cedar and gypsum decoration. (29 minutes walk and boat)

Chellah Complex

This archaeological site contains the ruins of a Roman town known as Sala Colonia. By the mid-14th century Marinid sultans had enclosed a part of the site with a new set of walls and built a religious complex inside it to accompany their mausoleums. (50 minutes walk)