Shining like a beacon between Europe and African, Tangier will always be an open and cosmopolitan town where all civilisations mix.

The town resembles the medina's maze of alleys leading to the kasbah and the old sultans' palace (now transformed into a museum). A fabulous panoramic terrace can be reached from the marketplace in the kasbah. The Petit Socco Square neighbourhood is reminiscent of the eastern paintings of Eugene Delacroix. The Great Mosque is situated close by. After a period when it was a church, it has been a mosque again since 1684. Grand Socco Square holds the busiest market in Tangier. You can catch a glimpse of women from the Rif wearing their fouta, a hat with multi-coloured pompoms. More stalls are set up in the Chejra foundouk, a magnificent caravanserai. St Andrew's church, with its minaret shaped steeple, is a link to the West.

European Tangier starts at the Place de France where you can see the stylish Grand Café de Paris and the Café de France, authentic haunts of all artists. A hotel built in 1870 and situated at the foot of the medina on the port, put up the cream of the jet set in its time. You can continue along the coast to the Marshan quarter and the Mendoub Palace, once owned by the multi-millionaire Malcolm Forbes and where he held lavish parties overlooking the ocean. The terraces of the renowned Hafa café, open since 1921, offer you a magnificent view over the Strait of Gibraltar.