Destination: SEVILLE, SPAIN

Seville is the capital of Andalucia, the cultural and financial centre of southern Spain. A city of just over 700,000 inhabitants (1.6 million in the metropolitan area, making it Spain's 3rd largest city), Seville has much to offer the traveller.

According to legend, Seville was founded by Hercules. It was known as Hispalis under the Romans, and Ishbiliya during the Moorish occupation. The high point in its history was following the discovery of America.

UNDERSTAND SEVILLE

The city is situated on the banks of the smooth, slow Guadalquivir River, which divides the city into two halves: Sevilla and Triana. The river head is located much further West, and its basin is very large. The river mouth is located in Sanlúcar de Barrameda and crosses the Doñana National Park (one of the most important wetlands in Europe, breeding ground to many species of birds).

The Guadalquivir (known as Betis by the Romans and as Betik Wahd-Al-Khabir by the Arabs) has had a major impact in the history of the city. The location of Sevilla is roughly coincident with the point where the Guadalquivir stops being useful for navigation. It is at this point that the cereal producing region of the Guadalquivir Valley starts, and Sevilla has acted as a sea-port for commerce of agricultural goods produced further West. Intense trade existed in the area from Roman times, continued under Muslim rule, and exploded as Seville monopolized the new trade with the Americas. As the monopoly was broken ([Cádiz] largely took Seville's place), the city entered a period of relative decline.

Seville has played host to two international exhibitions - the Ibero-American Exhibition in 1929 and the International Exposition in 1992.

Inhabitants of the city are known as Sevillanos.

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THINGS TO SEE IN SEVILLE

Landmarks

The Cathedral of Seville was once judged the third largest church in the world after Saint Peter's in Rome and Saint Paul's in London; it is now arguably the largest church in the world when compared using the measurement of volume. Seville's fifteenth century cathedral occupies the site of the former great mosque built in the late twelfth century. The central nave rises to an awesome 42 metres over a total area of 11,520 square metres. The Cathedral is the final resting place of the remains of Christopher Columbus.
La Giralda is a large and beautiful minaret tower, originally intended for the chief mosque, but now the magnificent bell tower of the Cathedral and symbol of Seville. Climb the 36 ramps for a great view of the city.
The Real Alcázar is a beautiful palace in the Mudejar (Moorish) style, began in the Twelfth Century by Pedro I the Cruel.
The Jewish Quarter (Barrio Santa Cruz) is located around the Cathedral. It is filled with small winding streets and is generally regarded as the most charming part of the city, but it is also fairly touristy.
the Hospital de los Venerables, Plaza de los Venerables, a 17th century retirement home and hospital for aged and sickly retired priests, recently restored by the Fundación Focus-Abengoa to preserve an example of Andalusian architecture at its very best. Includes a resplendent Baroque chapel - not to be missed. Admission includes an informative audioguide.
Torre de Oro is a thirteenth century tower, the top of which is rumored to have once been covered in gold. It now houses the local maritime museum, admission €1 for students.
Parque María Luisa was built for the 1929 Iber-Americano World's Fair and now is landscaped with attractive monuments and museums.
Plaza de España is the site of the Spanish pavilion from the 1929 exhibition. It is somewhat in need of repair. Visit it early in the morning on a weekday to see a long line of immigrants outside one of the government offices it now houses; visit it right before it closes (officially at 10pm but likely half and hour later) to see it completely empty and rather eery.
Universidad de Sevilla is an old, beautiful university set near the Parque Maria Luisa.
The Museum of Fine Arts at Plaza del Museo is worth seeing although it can't compare with the museums in Madrid.
Casa de Pilatos is a Sixteenth Century palace and generally thought to be one of the best in the city. Admission €8; free after 1pm Tuesdays.

Museums and Galleries

the Museo de Bellas Artes, Plaza del Museo, considered by some as the second most important fine arts museum in Spain after the Prado in Madrid. The museum building is a former mercy convent renewed in the 17th century and the fifteen exhibition rooms show a comprehensive picture of Sevillian art from the Gothic period to the early trends of the 20th century.

THINGS TO DO IN SEVILLE

Semana Santa - the sombre Easter week processions feature thousands of people and go on all week - a spectacular display of conspicuous Catholicism
Feria de abril - a release after the sombreness of Semana Santa, a huge party of eating and drinking
Go out - the nightlife of Seville is fantastic; no other European city has so many bars per inhabitant than Seville. In summmer go to Isla Cartuja and find out why the Spanish night doesn't stop before 7 AM. There you can find plenty of open-air discoteques. Other nightlife spots include Calle Betis in Triana, La Alamede de Hercules, and Plaza Alfalfa.
Flamenco - Flamenco is in fact very popular at the moment in Spain and is not just for tourists, however finding the right place is hard (unless you ask a local). El Arenal is one place to consider. The Cultural Centre, C/ Ximenez de Enciso, 28 (Santa Cruz). Tel 954 56 06 70, is a good spot to see real flamenco, performances are daily at 9:00pm, it costs €22, €10 for students and Sevillians, €6 for kids (4 to 10).
Horse drawn carriage rides found near the cathedral take you to the nearby park and other sites of interest - for the sake of the animals, try to avoid / discourage the use of carriage rides in the heat of the day in summer
Wander through an open-air market. Vendors in many parts of the city sell on the streets, but on Sunday, when everything else is closed, a few spots really fill up. One market is located behind the Alcampo shopping center at Ronda del Tamarguillo on Avenida de la Paz (Bus lines 30, 36 from Prado de San Sebastian), but it is easily outdone by a large fleamarket, selling clothes, furniture, trash, books, shoes, CDs, food, tools, and probably everything else just Northwest of Triana near Avenida Carlos III (off of the lefhand side of most tourist maps).
Rent a bike in María Luisa Park. Seville is in the process of building many bike paths; one pleasant route covers most of the East bank of the river.
Climb to the top of the Cerro de Carambolo for a view of the whole city. The hill is outside of the town but can be reached on the M-170, M-171, and M-173 from the Plaza de Armas bus station.
Cruises, an hour in duration, leave from beneath the Torre de Oro and travel a circuit on the Guadalquivir river.

SHOPPING IN SEVILLE

Seville is home to many beautiful artifacts; some of the more popularly known are plates and Spanish tiles. There are stores that custom design plates and tiles near the cathedral, especially in Calle Sierpes, but across the river in Triana are other worthwhile pottery stores. Depending on the time of year, but especially leading up to Christmas, there are a number of artesanal fairs throughout the city.

Seville offers a wide variety of retail clothing, although generally at high prices. The main shopping district is home to all the big international and Spanish clothing lines (such as Zara - at least 4 separate stores!) The winding streets and alleyways of the Santa Cruz area (around the Cathedral) do a roaring trade in Spanish- and Andaludian-themed T-shirts for all and inexpensive flamenco dresses for little girls.

FOOD IN SEVILLE

Seville, like most Andalusian destinations, is known for its tapas. "Tapa," while it is associated with certain dishes, is actually a size and many restaurants or bars will offer a "tapa," "1/2 ración" (half serving, although sometimes enough to make a meal) and "ración" (serving) of the same dish. There are many great tapas places around the foot of the cathedral in the center of town. You can't go wrong, simply order one of everything to find your favorite! Some tipical tapas include "tortilla española" (potato omlette), "pulpo gallego" (galician octopus), "aceitunas" (olives), "papas bravas" (spicy potatoes), and "queso manchego" (goat cheese from the nearby La Mancha region).

Some bars near the river, such as "Pedalquivir" and "El Faro de Triana," offer a nice view but aren't as good of a deal in terms of the quality of the food. A good deal can more easily be had at less characteristic places such as "Sloppy Joe's Pizza Inn" and "Papasá." For the most typical and interesting meal, stop at one of the many bars, especially one which doesn't offer English menus (the prices are likely to be lower).

TRIPS OUT OF SEVILLE

The Prado de San Sebastian bus station offers routes to other cities in Andalucía, including Córdoba, Granada, and Algeciras where it is possible to continue on by ferry to Morocco. the Plaza de Armas bus station offers routes to other parts of Spain and other countries, most notably Portugal.
Nearby Cordoba is a wonderful day trip (about an hour by train) or 2 days to see everything. Visit the Mezquita with peppermint striped arches, the old white walled Jewish quarter where every turn offers a new view, and the Medina Azahara archeological site. You can also take a bath in Hamam, Arabic baths massage included, very relaxing.
Nearby Granada, offering the incredible Alhambra, is possible on a long day trip, but better for an overnight or long weekend.
Nearby Cadiz a wonderful, ancient (oldest city in Europe) city. It's an hour and a half by train, a little less by car. Walk its downtown, bath in its beaches and taste its delicious fish. And if it's Carnival time, don't miss one of the more massive Carnival in the world (and surely one of the funniest ones).
Even nearer, Italica [13], a partially excavated Roman city, is only a brief bus ride away on the M-172 (from Plaza de Armas Bus Station). Most of it is lost under the village of Santiponce, but several streets and the footings of houses and public buildings with mosaic tiled floors can be seen. The highlight is one of the largest known Roman amphitheatres with seats for 25,000.
In the summer, cruises are offered from beneath the Torre de Oro to Sanlucar de Barrameda at the mouth of the river.

For more information on Seville, visit the source at Wikitravel

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Seville, Spain