Spanish City Guide - Best of Seville
Tourist Highlights of Vibrant Andalucian City Famous for Festivals
Nov 24, 2008
A highlight of Andalucia, Seville has a strong regional identity, displayed in its food, bull fighting and its mixture of Christian and Islamic architecture. The best way to explore the city and become immersed in the local way of life is on foot.
Seville Cathedral
Seville's Cathedral is a striking, imposing sight and in sheer volume is the largest Christian church in the world. When Seville was conquered in 1248 by Christian forces they inherited a city brimming full with Islamic culture. They eventually decided to demolish the city's huge mosque and build a cathedral in its place. Highlights of the cathedral include:
- Patio de los Naranjos - The Courtyard of the Orange Trees
- Biblioteca Colombina - Library of ancient manuscripts and archives of Columbus
- Sacristia Mayor - featuring a huge dome designed in the 16th century
- La Giralda - The symbol of Seville. It's a steep climb to the top of this tower which offers unparalleled views of the cathedral and the whole city.
- Puerta del Perdon - This gate is carved with more than 800 Koranic inscriptions and is the main entrance to the surviving section of the original mosque.
The Cathedral is open from 11am - 5pm (Monday-Saturday) and 2.30pm - 6pm on Sundays. Price of admission is €6 (free on Sundays).
Semana Santa
Seville is famous for its celebrations of Holy Week, leading up to Easter. The city's parades, fiestas and processions are the most spectacular in all of Andalucia. The festivities are so popular that it's necessary to book accommodation months in advance for this time of year.
Real Alcazar
This vast, luxurious palace showcases a fascinating blend of Moorish building styles and Christian themes and ideology. Impressive from the outside and equally intriguing from within, the Alcazar also has a series of courtyards and beautiful, landscaped gardens with fountains and orange and lemon groves. Some of the highlights of the palace include:
- Patio de las Munecas - Court of the Dolls
- Patio de las Doncellas - Court of the Maidens
- Puerta del Leon - Entrance gate featuring Gothic and Arabic inscriptions
Perhaps most spectacular of all is the Salon de Embajodores. This large room is dominated by its ceiling - an incredible dome of gilded wood, dazzling gold in colour and inscribed in Arabic.
- Entrance to the Alcazar costs €5
- From April to September opening hours are 9.30-7pm (Tues-Sat) & 9.30-5pm (Sunday)
- From October to March: 9.30-5pm (Tues-Sat) & 9.30-1.30 (Sunday)
Parks and Gardens
As well as experiencing Seville's lively nightlife and famous tapas, the city has a more tranquil side to offer. The Parque de Maria Luisa is Seville's main park with beautiful landscaped gardens and fine architecture. The Paseo Marques do Contadero is a tree lined promenade that stretches along the riverfront.
Plaza de Espana
One of the hidden gems of Seville, this semi circular plaza, covered in glazed tiles and adorned with footbridges and fountains is a great place to end a day's sightseeing. It looks particularly beautiful in evening light, and there are horse drawn carriages to ride passengers around the plaza. A series of benches and other monuments are decorated in symbols that represent the major cities and regions of Spain.
Getting to Seville
Andalucia's main international airport is Malaga, though Seville also has its own smaller airport for domestic and European flights. Trains run to and from Granada and Cordoba. A high speed AVE train travels from Madrid to Seville via Cordoba and takes two and a half hours.
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