Rabat - Medina, Fortress and Pirates

If I had asked a Moroccan before whether it is worth going to Rabat, he would probably have denied it. But I liked the city very much!

My hostel was located in the Medina (or old town) of Rabat, in an old house with a courtyard and many colorful tiles. The hostel was also connected to a surf school and I actually considered taking a course. But after the first night, which I really couldn't warm up to, I decided that it was still too cold.

Since I arrived in Rabat in the early afternoon by train (trains in Morocco, by the way, are an excellent means of transport), I spent the rest of the day wandering around the Medina. I enjoyed the busyness, the many small sales stalls on both sides of the alleys. There were incredibly many dates and other dried fruits, even more sweet-looking pastries, and spices. It reminded me a little of the bazaars in Istanbul and so I immediately felt a little bit at home.

Of course, I stood out here too with my blonde hair (and my bright green jacket) and was approached a few times, but I didn't find it too uncomfortable. Most people seemed to be too busy with their own affairs.

For my second day, I spontaneously booked a 'free walking tour', also hoping to meet some people with whom I could possibly travel a little further. However, a young German girl told me at breakfast that it often happens that you are alone with the guide. And that's how it was. However, I got along very well with the guide. He told me a lot about Rabat, its history, the pirates, and the Spaniards who once lived in the Kasbah and the Medina. But we also talked about current topics such as refugees and pop culture in Morocco. And I even learned a few words in (Moroccan) Arabic.

On my last full day in Rabat, I visited the Chellah, an old fortress that is mostly in ruins. Initially, the Phoenicians built a city in this place, later the Romans built a fortress there before it was used as a royal burial site by the Marindis. In the 18th century, the Chellah was completely destroyed in the Lisbon earthquake and has been in ruins ever since. The area around the ruins is beautifully designed as a park, and storks build their nests on the old walls. During my visit, I formed a very special friendship with a cat that simply climbed onto my lap to get its caresses. That also earned us some approving looks from the other tourists - we must have both looked very happy...