Is Casablanca worth visiting?

Let me be straight: Casablanca is Morocco's economic capital and largest city, a working business hub rather than a postcard medina destination. Most first-time visitors who go in expecting another Marrakech come away a little underwhelmed. It is modern, sprawling and far less geared toward sightseeing.

That said, it has one true world-class attraction. The Hassan II Mosque is one of the largest mosques on earth, built partly over the Atlantic with a 210-metre minaret, and it is one of the very few in Morocco that non-Muslims can enter, via a guided tour. It is genuinely breathtaking and, for many, justifies the stop on its own. The city also has the best-preserved French colonial Art Deco architecture in Morocco, a pleasant corniche, and a lively, contemporary dining and café scene.

Where it falls short is the historic atmosphere people travel to Morocco for. The old medina is small and unremarkable compared with Fes or Marrakech, and the famous Rick's Café is a charming homage to the film but a modern recreation, not a historic site. Casablanca is a city to experience as a slice of modern Morocco, not as a heritage centre.

In practice, many travellers fly into Casablanca because it has the main international airport, see the mosque, and move on by the fast train to Marrakech, Fes or Rabat. That is a sensible plan. Give it a day, see the mosque, enjoy a good dinner — and save your nights for the cities with deeper old-town magic.