Rabat is a little known destination and one not much frequented by tourists heading to Morocco. This is precisely one of its major attractions – the chance to enjoy its monuments and spots full of atmosphere, minus the stress associated with other cities like Marrakech, Casablanca or Fez.

The city lies on the mouth of the river Bou Regreg, on the Atlantic seaboard, and is a curious blend of the old and new. The old medina and the city walls contrast with the new city, home to the country’s administrative facilities. It is not overly big, so you can see it all in a couple of days. Following is a selection we have made of the essential sights to see when visiting Rabat.

The Hassan Tower – Splendour Cut Short

The Hassan Tower is one of Rabat’s major landmarks, the unfinished fruit of the city’s greatest age of splendour. In the 12th century, Sultan Yaqoub al-Mansour decided to build the largest mosque in the West, to which end he commissioned the same architect who had designed the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech, and La Giralda of Seville. Unfortunately, the sultan died before the mosque had been completed, and construction work came to a halt. The most striking architectural feature is the minaret with its geometric designs. It was scheduled to be 86 metres high, but only 44 metres were eventually completed. The rest of the complex comprises the columns built to support 21 naves.

Alongside this ancient mosque stands the Mausoleum of Muhammad V, where the remains of the Alawite monarchs, Muhammad V and Hassan II, were laid to rest. Built between 1961 and 1971, it is a commendable example of contemporary Moroccan architecture. The project was assigned to the Vietnamese, Vo Toan, who successfully captured the essence of the country’s architectural and decorative tradition.

In Search of Origins – the Chellah Necropolis

The Chellah is a fortified precinct located some 2 kilometres from Rabat. Its interior houses, among other things, remains of the Roman city – after the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, they were the first to settle the area. Preserved in this early urban nucleus are the remains of the forum and temple of Jupiter. There are also vestiges of the early Islamic era. In the 15th century the precinct was reconverted by the Arabs into a necropolis, and features remains of tombs and a mosque.

The Kasbah of the Udayas – Rabat’s Magical Corner

Rabat is well worth visiting, if only for a tour of this walled quarter, made up of labyrinthine streets full of houses painted blue and white. The Kasbah was built in the 17th century by the Udayas on a cliff sited on the south bank of the river mouth to defend the coastline from a possible Spanish invasion. This is evident in its fortress-like character, with numerous battlements and lookouts, which now make excellent viewpoints for sightseers. In addition to wandering through the streets, soaking up the atmosphere in all its corners, you should take the chance to visit the Museum of the Udayas, located in the Andalusian Gardens, which boasts one of the finest jewellery collections in Morocco.

City of Gardens

Rabat is also known as the “city of gardens”, so make sure you stroll leisurely through and relax in one of them. Most noteworthy are the Nouzzah Hassan Gardens, located opposite the city walls, designed by the French general, Lyautey; the Jardins d'Essais Botanical Gardens, with exotic fruit, ornamental and Mediterranean trees, and Rabat Zoo, for those who fancy seeing animals, apart from plants.

Shopping in the Souq

The word souq, associated with tranquility, might sound like science fiction to the traveller in Morocco, but this is true of the bazaar in Rabat. With hardly any hustling by street vendors, you can tour the Souq in search of food, spices, craftwork, garments, carpets and a host of other goods.

You’ve noted everything you can see in Rabat, right? Take out a Vueling and enjoy a visit to this city.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Jacopo Romei, SnippyHolloW, Fr Maxim Massalitin, Mustapha Ennaimi, Julia Chapple, Shawn Allen

Santander is making its debut, a long overdue debut at that. The project, commissioned in 2012 by the deceased Emilio Botín, was slow in taking shape and transforming the waterfront of Santander bay, until it was finally unveiled on 23 June this year. A good thing is worth waiting for, or so they say, so this might well be the key to the secret of the Botín Centre, which has materialised in the Cantabrian capital and imbued this beautiful city of northern Spain with a cultural boost and a new lease of life.

A Signature Building
The first thing that strikes the eye about this new cultural space is the building housing it. The architectural project was obviously intended to not go by unnoticed and it drew both praise and criticism, like anything which entails a certain element of risk. This work by the Pritzker prizewinning Renzo Piano, who happens to be truly enamoured of Santander, was developed in conjunction with the studio of Spaniard Luis Vidal. It has endowed the city with a touch of modernity in one of its most emblematic spots – its bay. The building comprises two large volumes, connected by an ensemble of walkways and spaces that act as a main distributor. The western volume houses a big, 2,500 m² exhibition hall, with shopping and restaurant areas in the basement. The smaller module on the east side, which will be given over to educational activities, sports a large, protruding terrace with splendid vistas over Santander bay. Supported on pillars, which make it look as if floating in the air, its highlight is the large glazed frontage, affording privileged views of the coastline and the city, while the outer cladding is rendered in white porcelain shards.

However, this fabulous building, which acts to articulate the city centre with the harbour, doesn’t quite steal the show on its own. Its construction has been paralleled by an extension to the Pereda Gardens, located in the vicinity of the Botín Centre, which has seen its surface area increased from two to four hectares. Landscape gardener Fernando Caruncho and artist Cristina Iglesias have been tasked with making the approach walk to this new cultural space a veritable delight on the senses.

The City’s New Exhibition Venue
The Botín Centre made its debut with two opposing exhibitions – one classical, dedicated to the great master of modern painting, Goya, with his drawings as the centrepiece, and the other, more contemporary show dedicated to Carsten Höller, the first monographic of this Belgian artist’s work to date in Spain. Running parallel are a number of scheduled activities of all kinds, from workshops to film screenings, concerts, etc.

Ahead lies a long road and the project has spawned the question of whether it will experience the “Guggenheim effect”, providing yet another enticement to travellers on their visit to Santander, as well as giving extra momentum to tourism and the city itself. For the time being it has become the talk of the town this summer, as well as the venue that is willy-nilly pulling in visitors from among both locals and holiday-makers.

Fire up for an escape to Santander to discover this new art centre – book your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

What started out as a religious festival in honour of the Virgin Mary has become one of Lyon’s – and, by extension, France’s – standout cultural events. Worship of Mary the mother of Jesus in the capital of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region goes back a long way, its origins steeped in the Middle Ages. During the plague which ravaged France in 1643, for instance, the city was placed under her protection.

To uncover the roots of the Fête des Lumières (Festival of Lights), you have to go back in time to 8 December 1852, the date on which a statue of the Virgin was unveiled. Executed by the sculptor, Joseph-Hugues Fabisch, it was placed in the Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière. The event was widely celebrated in the city and, in keeping with the traditional way of marking important commemorations in those times, the facades of well-to-do homes were lit up with candlelight. What might have been just an isolated event in Lyon’s history was later reenacted each year on 8 December, when the nativity of the Virgin is celebrated, gradually becoming the festival of lights which we know today. Over time, the religious nature of the festivity has been replaced by one more akin to cultural entertainment, while the candles have been replaced by grand spectacles of light designed by renowned artists, and the celebration itself has been extended from one to four days.

The festival has grown so popular over the years that it now attracts up to 4 million visitors who flock to Lyon, eager to witness for themselves the huge, charming and magical display of light. This can be daunting for newcomers arriving in the city to discover and enjoy the Fête des Lumières. We advise you to book your accommodation in advance and to be patient when attending the various light shows, as you are bound to encounter large crowds. What we can guarantee, however, is that you will be amazed by the earnestness with which the Lyonnais celebrate this festivity, and by the sheer number and quality of the visual displays, most of which are held in the old town and around Lyon’s major landmarks.

What’s More…

Apart from visiting Lyon for its Festival of Lights, which this year runs from 8 to 11 December, we recommend you take the opportunity to discover some of the city’s other charms, too. Be sure to visit its historic centre or Vieux Lyon, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998, where you can breathe the medieval atmosphere, visit Roman ruins – most notably the Roman Theatre of Fourvière – and do a spot of shopping at the Carré d’Or. Cuisine is another of the city’s fortes, and has earned it international accolades. Indeed the city features such standout chefs as Paul Bocuse and Eugénie Brazier. So, make a point of dropping in on at least one of the countless bouchons, as restaurants are known in Lyonnais parlance, and treat yourself to their excellent local cuisine.

Come and experience first-hand this stunning festival of lights – book your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Fulvio Spada

1.- Museu Olímpic i de l’Esport Joan Antoni Samaranch | In the slopes of the Barcelona ’92 Olympic Stadium there is the museum with the memories of that historic milestone for the city. Next to the stadium, you can also enjoy Palau Sant Jordi, Picornell swimmingpools and other Olympic venues.

2.- Museu del Barça | Beside the Camp Nou, on a day without match, the best thing to do is take the tour to the facilities of the club and wander through the Museum of FC Barcelona, an installation rich in multimedia material and historical memories of the club, such as the boots with which Koeman scored the goal that gave the first European Cup to the club.

3.- Palau Blaugrana|  Slightly eclipsed by the majestic Camp Nou. In Palau Blaugrana, lies one of the most familiar FC Barcelona values: its multidisciplinarity. Barça teams of Basketball, Handball, Roller Hockey and Futsal play their games in this ancient but hot venue.

4.- Frankfurt Pedralbes | The most traditional plan for Barça supporters is, before going to the game, stop by the more typical  frankfurt of the city to fill the stomach and share the atmosphere with other supporters at a establishment well known by all the locals.

5.- Estadio de Les Corts | Nothing remains of the former FC Barcelona stadium, but in here laid the headquarters of FC Barcelona before Kubala forced the club to build a new stadium (Camp Nou in Catalan). Les Corts  became too small when so many people wanted to see the Hungarian genius playing football.

6.- Estadio de Sarrià | Today,  it is only still standing the corner gas station from the former RCD Espanyol stadium. But even though to the naked eye are observed only luxury flats, the true football fan in that corner can easily see  the World Cup ’82 Stadium where Brazil and Italy left one of the best shocks in the history of the World Cup.

7.- Font de Canaletes | The tourist won’t even see the small fountain that on the right side of the top of the Ramblas observes all visitors if passes distracted. This is the Font de Canaletes where all Barca fans get together  to celebrate victories and championships and even the defeats of Real Madrid.

8.- Michael Collins Irish Pub | If there is a football game and you would like to see people drinking beer and having a good time in a good atmosphere, this is the place to be. The most famous irish pub in the city where you will always find people to watch any international  match. Overlooking Sagrada Familia.

9.- Hotel Vela | Barcelona coast’s architectural icon, this is the place chosen by FC Barcelona to spend the nights before the important Champions League matches. There begins the seafront promenade that runs all the Barcelona beaches, catwalk full of runners, cyclists, skaters, surfers and beach volleyball enthusiasts. The hotel also houses a cocktail bar with a trendy terrace.

10.- Estadi Cornellà-El Prat | Half field of the stadium is located in Cornella  and the other half is in El Prat, hence the name of the new home for RCD Espanyol. A modern and charming stadium full of very passionate supporters. It is worth a visit, while far from the city, and there is a large shopping center in front of the field.

11.- Olímpic de Badalona | Apart from being home to Joventut de Badalona, a traditional Catalan basketball club , any basketball lover should immediately associate this name to ‘Dream Team’. A unique team in the Sports history  formed by Jordan, Johnson, Bird and company amazed everyone in the Olimpic de Badalona.

By Panenka www.panenka.org

Picture by Yearofthedragon

So you feel like visiting Barcelona, do you? Book your flights here!