Categoria: Seville

Seville is flamenco, tapas, bullfights, parties, the essence of Spain. You can discover the old neighbors with their narrow streets, quiet parks and friendly people especially during the holidays for which the Andalusian capital is famous. Sevilla has an architectural heritage of great value, the Cathedral, the Giralda and the Reales Alcazares are some examples, but we suggest you to visit the city in the mid seasons, to avoid the hot weather
City life, especially in summer, is focused around the Guadalquivir River, now the only river harbour in Spain, which divides the city in two parts ; while in winter the citizens meet friends in taverns. At any time of year, Seville is always alive. To enjoy the fun, not to mention the beauty of the city, we suggest you 10 things not to be missed during a holiday in Seville.

If you are looking for a hotel in Seville, we suggest you to choose among those offered by Booking.com. There are about 280 hotels with prices, pictures and comments of guests already stayed there. Go to Booking.com

1

The Reales Alcazares (Royal Palaces) are the most impressive monuments of Seville. Feature of these buildings is the mixture of styles and decorations, from the Islamic to Neoclassical style.

The Alcazar, an ancient Arab fortress, is a great example of Mudejar architecture with living rooms, patios and gardens that create a great combination of colors. Near the Alcazar stands the Palace of Charles V, which houses a major collection of tapestries depicting the conquest of Tunis by the king. From the Palace you can directly go to the Gardens, where the Arabic style is combined to the Renaissance shapes with the Romanesque ones.

2

The Gothic and the Renaissance style come together in the most impressive monument of the Christian world, after St. Peter’s Basilica: the Cathedral de Santa Maria in Seville.

It consists of five internal naves, Gothic style, and two chapels, the Royal Chapel and the Main Chapel. The first one is dominated by a Renaissance dome; the second one contains paintings depicting scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin. The Cathedral is built in the place where before stood the Mayor Mosque, demolished in the fifteenth century. It only keep the Giralda of the old and a few remnants of the Patio de los Narajos.

3

La Giralda, the emblem of the Andalusian capital, is the bell tower of the Cathedral: a 96 meters high monument that reflects the Almohads style: a huge monument and a refined simplicity.

Giralda owes its name to the statue of the Faith (so called Giraldillo) that dominates and that turns on itself according to the wind direction. From inside the Cathedral you can access to a platform, placed at the top of the tower, from which you can admire the city from above.

4

The western bank of the Guadalquivir River hosts the characteristic neighbourhood of Triana, where the ancient and the modern city coexist . Triana was originally a neighbourhood of sailors, labourers, industrial and potters and, even today, visiting the neighbourhood, you can buy pottery made by craftsmen in the workshops. The riverfront, however, that goes from San Telmo to puente de Isabel II, is a concentration of trendy bars and restaurants that offer, in the evening, a good opportunity of entertainment. Another feature of Triana is the covered market where you can admire the remains of the Arab and Roman civilizations.

5

You will notice Baroque, Gothic and Renaissance style into the elements of the Barrio de San Bartolomé. From the Church of Santa Maria la Blanca, to Plaza de San Francisco, from the Casa de Pilatos to the Church of Santa Magdalena, a mixture of different styles is the charm of this neighbourhood. San Bartolomé with its maze of narrow streets surrounded by the old low houses, is a solitary and quiet place, perfect for long walks. Although the Barrio is not a popular destination in Seville tourism, actually it preserves all the authenticity of the city.

6

Plaza de España, within the Parque de Maria Luisa, was built in 1929 for the Iberian-American Exhibition, the project of the artist Gonzalez.

Decorated with bricks, ceramics and colored marble, the square has a particular symbolism: the semi-circular shape is the embrace of Spain to its new colonies; The 58 benches represent all the Spanish provinces; Palacio Español inside, majestic and proud, is the prestige of the Spanish world power; Plaza de España looks towards the river route to follow to reach America.

7

The House of Pilato is a masterpiece of Renaissance art of the fifteenth century, built by Don Fadrique and perhaps inspired by the home of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem.

Legend tells that the marquis has noticed that the distance between his house and the nearest church was the same as the one between the residence of Pontius Pilate and the place where Jesus was crucified. He decided to put on the way the 14 stations of the Via Crucis of which the first (trial of Jesus) coincided with his house. This is why it is believed that his palace was also the copy of the residence of Pilate. The building of 1533 is a successful mixture of Renaissance, Flamboyant Gothic and Mudejar style and has a beautiful patio with 24 arches with the busts of the Caesars, Roman statues and walls decorated in Mudejar style. The garden too is beautiful.

8

Both in winter and in summer, Seville is a city always ready. Every day of the year is the right day to be together, into the streets and have fun: this is the spirit of the people. In the colder months the fun is concentrated in the Barrio Santa Cruz , where the coffee bars and nightclubs are open until dawn. The Triana area, however, is the right one to spend more quiet evenings, listening to live music. In summer, the fun moves along the river where are set up coffee bars, kiosks and outdoor discos.

9

The Sevillian cuisine offers fresh products both from land and sea. Fish is the main element of the table, cooked with care and almost always fried; for meat lovers, however, there are tasty dishes such as goose or the Sevillian fried lamb. The kitchen in Seville is enhanced by appropriate use of spices, as it is by good Arab tradition. Home of tapas, the area of Triana and La Macarena are the perfect places to taste this dish with good beer or sangria. You will find also a rich offer of sweets, including torrijas, borrachuelos and alfajores.

10

It is a very popular holiday destination, a must tour in Andalusia, and it has excellent capacity.

Depending on the type of accommodation and the budget you want to spend, the city has available hotels, hostels, apartments or rooms both economic and extra luxury.
When booking your holiday in Seville, remember that autumn and spring are the high season, but the Andalusian capital is beautiful to visit and to live the whole year .
If you are looking for a hotel in Seville, we suggest you to choose among those offered by Booking.com. There are about 280 hotels with prices, pictures and comments of guests already stayed there. Go to Booking.com