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Seville City

Seville, Spain. Introduction

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Seville, Spain is a city that has a lot to offer for your holidays. Sunshine, light, a warm climate, joy, culture, history, folclore and party are all united under a mostly blue and cloudless sky and Seville's city center is full of bars, restaurants and terraces.

Monuments of Seville, Spain

The cathedral of Seville is the third in dimensions after the Saint Peter in Vatican city and St. Paul-s in London.

The most famous images of Seville are of the group of historic monuments consisting of the Cathedral, the Giralda Tower, Los Reales Alcázares and the Archive of the Indies, all of which are all UNESCO World Heritage Buildings.

Amidst the whitewashed buildings of the Santa Cruz district, Seville's gothic cathedral was built on top of a former mosque. The Orange Tree Patio and the former minaret, now the famous Giralda Tower, still remain as evidence of the building's arabic hertiage.

The Patio de las Doncellas in the Royal Alcazar in Seville.

The Reales Alcázares also sits on a IX Century arabic fortress, but we owe the mudejar decor to Pedro I 'the Cruel' (C.XIV). The palace's thick walls encircle numerous out-buildings, sumptous halls and romantic patios. It's large gardens with arabic and renaissance influences surround it all.

The Archive of the Indies on the other hand, takes us to Spanish Renaissance art. It is an important library containing documents relating to the conquisition of the 'New World'. Another important renaissance building in Seville is the Casa de Pilatos, a palace which merges gothic and mudejar elements with renaissance influences from Italy.

You can also take a look at the baroque facade of the Royal Tobacco Factory, now a university, the San Telmo Palace, María Luisa Park or the Plaza de España. In this area you can find many interesting buildings, reminders of the Latin American Exhibition which took place in Seville in 1929.

Situated on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, the Torre del Oro is a building of arabic origin (C. XIII) which once formed part of the city walls. Due to it's close links with spanish maritime history, it was chosen as the site of the Naval Museum. This tower marks the entrance to the Arenal district; the bullfight sector of Seville. Here you can find one of the most emblematic bullrings of Spain, the Real Maestranza de Caballería bullring.

More districts of Seville, Spain

In the center of Seville, Spain can be found more well-known streets such as Sierpes or Campana, as well as numerous churches, hospitals and renaissance and baroque palaces. Moreover in the Macarena district you can find the Alameda de Hércules, the Hospital de las Cinco Llagas (site of the Parliament of Andalucia), the Basilica of the Macarena and the San Lorenzo Church. The latter house two statues revered by the people of Seville: la Virgen de la Esperanza and Jesús del Gran Poder, celebrated during the processions in Semana Santa.

Another of the more traditional districts of Seville is that of Triana, on the other side of the river. Its profound maritime tradition can be seen in the streets Pureza, Betis or Alfarería and in Plaza del Altozano.

The Isla de la Cartuja is sitauted on this bank of the river, where bulidings remaining from the The 1992 Univeral Exhibition add to the existing historical monuments of the Cartuja and the Andalusian Centre for Contemporary Art.

Seville, Spain has a rich history due to former Arab occupation and it's role as a prosperous commercial port at the time of colonization of the Americas. The many streets and squares of the Andalusian capital ooze fun and energy and there is an interesting mix of UNESCO World Heritage buildings and typical districts such as Triana or La Macarena.

Founded by General Escipión, Seville was the birthplace of the two Roman emperors Trajano and Adriano. Moreover the long Muslim occupation from 711 until 1248 also left it's mark on the city. The end of the Cordoban Reign (XI Century) led to the Taifa Monarchy in Seville, under the reign of al-Mutamid, the 'Poet King'.

Detail of an arc in the Salon de los Embajadores of the Royal Alcázar of Seville.

Seville, Spain experienced it's greatest period of prosperity due to the discovery of the Americas. During the XVI and XVII Centuries it's port was one of the most important ports in Spain as it had a monopoly on overseas commerce. Intense commercial activity during this period resulted in much urban development and the construction of palaces, mansions, churches and convents.

- Visit also the province of Seville, Spain, there is a lot to see.

-Download the Guide to Seville in PDF format here
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Seville, Spain tourism essentials

People enjoying the sun on one of the many terraces in Seville. Here in the famous Santa Cruz quarter.

Seville map (new window)
Seville hotels
Seville hostels
Seville apartments
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Shared rooms in Seville

Seville restaurants
Seville bars
Seville monuments
- The Giralda tower
- The cathedral
- The alcazar palace

- Plaza de España
Seville airport

Traditional celebrations
Semana santa - Holy week (easter) in Seville
April fair of Seville

The province of Seville, Spain

Hotels in the province of Seville
Seville nature reserves

Holidays and Leisure in Seville

One of the better excuses for coming to Seville Spain are it's 'fiestas'. Deemed to be events of International Tourist Interest, la Semana Santa, or Holy Week (09-19 April 2006) and the April Fair (24-30 April) both reflect the devotion of the people of Seville and the folklore of a city which always provides a warm welcome to visitors.

Throughout the year you can also find flamenco dancing and bullfighting.

Isla Mágica is another option to have some fun, specially for children. Located on the Isla de la Cartuja of Seville,

this theme park transports us back to the time of the discovery of the Americas, through various attractions, live performances and multimedia shows at the park's the central lake.

Nightlife in Seville Spain

Hefesto Bar, in alameda de Hércules. Also at night the temperature is pleasant at the bar terraces.

When it comes to nightlife Seville, and in general Spain, offer a wide range of possibilities. The Alameda, the Santa Cruz district and Argote de Molina Street are perfect places to start off your night. Lively night life also extends to Betis Street and Alfalfa where there are many bars and night clubs. The streets nearby the former Plaza de Armas station, for example Marqués de Paradas, Julio César and Adriano, are also good places to party until the early hours. In the summer your best bet is to go to one of the numerous bars with terraces on the banks of the river.

Shopping in Seville Spain

In the bustling old town you will find the main shoping area with shops of all kinds. In Plaza Nueva and the pedestrian zone in and around Sierpes and Tetuán Streets there are highstreet shops and department stores as well shops selling souvenirs, crafts, leather goods, guitars, flamenco outfits, fans and embroidery.
On the other side of the river in the narrow streets of Triana there are numerous specialist ceramic shops.

Museums in Seville, Spain

During a trip round Seville, Spain you will come across numerous museums, such as the the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville, one of the best museums in Spain in it's field. Situated in the Convent de la Merced, here you can admire the works of El Greco, Veláquez and Valdés Leal as well as a viewing a collection of paintings by the distinguished artist Murillo. There is also a valuable collection of religious paintings, jewels and relics on display in the Cathedral.

Plateresque Pavillion. america Square at María Luisa Park.

Another important museum is the Archeological Museum which houses roman money found in the nearby city of Itálica, treasure from Carambolo and other oriental pieces.

Mosaic of the Lebrija´s Palace in Seville.

To round off this tour of the roman world, you could gaze at the collections in the Museum de la Condesa de Lebrija; one of the best examples of tiled palaces in Europe.

The interesting Flamenco Museum provides the key to understanding the magical world of flamenco dancing. A visit to this museum is an essential for any visitor to Seville, for those who want to know more about Andalusian culture, those who want to understand and experience flamenco dancing, tourists and Andalusians alike. The museum is promoted by flamenco dancer Cristina Hoyos.

Museums, art galleries, theme parks, cinemas, theatres and night clubs are only a few of the infinite possibilities that a large city like Seville can offer. Not forgetting the city's most tasty and oldest passtime: 'el tapeo'; which involves going for drinks and snacks (tapas) in various bars.

Sport in Seville, Spain

Soccer is a real passion in Seville. Seville has two teams in the highest level of the Spanish league, Sevilla F.C and Real Betis, which are the focus of thousands of fans' attention every weekend.

And if you want to improve your par, Seville Spain has a the perfect climate all year round so you can play golf in any of the magnificent golf courses in the surrounding area.

On the other hand, the River Gualdalquivir, which crosses Seville, is considered to be one of the best places in the world to practise rowing and canoeing. Numerous places offer courses. In May, Seville is home to the Canoe Festival, for which more than a thousand sports people from all over Spain come to the city every year.

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