Seville Attractions

Seville Pictures

The city centre is crammed with sights but an obvious place to start is the stupendous Cathedral of Seville located just off Avenida de la Constitucion. Built in the 15th and 16th century on the site of the Arab Almohad Mosque only the tall minaret dating back to 1198 remains, known as La Giralda this now stands guard over the cathedral, climb up its 40 floors for panoramic views of the city. When exploring the interior and its 44 chapels look out for the tomb where it is claimed the remains of Christopher Columbus were laid to rest. Across the square and set in beautiful gardens is Seville’s Moorish Alcazar castle, a favoured residence of Spanish royalty it was here that Christopher Columbus was welcomed back after his discovery of America. Alongside the Alcazar lies the old neighboured of Santa Cruz, originally a Jewish quarter today it is one of the city’s most charming attractions with many pretty whitewashed houses packed on narrow winding streets and alleys along with several churches and old tapas bars. There are various museums and galleries but one of the more notable is the Museo de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Museum) housed in a restored convent dating back to 1612 it boasts one of Spain’s most important art collections which includes paintings by El Greco. When seeking some shade from the midday heat head to Maria Luisa Park near the port and adjacent to Plaza de Espana it is regarded as one of Europe’s prettiest parks. Finally, in order to take full advantage of Seville’s unrivalled atmosphere adapt to local customs by indulging in a late lunch followed by a long siesta so that you can then tour several tapas bars or visit one of Seville fabulous restaurants followed by some flamenco dancing late into the night!