What makes a place special? The experiences you have there, the things you see, the food you eat, the people you spend those moments with..
I have been lucky enough to visit Seville (or Sevilla in Spanish) twice now and I have already booked my flights for my third trip! So here is my guide on what I think you should experience during your time in beautiful Sevilla…
1. Stroll around the Real Alcazar de Sevilla…
This is the UNESCO listed royal palace of Seville. It dates back to the 10th century, where it began its life as a fort and has undergone changes to the stunningly tranquil palace you see today. One for you Game of Thrones fans, it was used during filming the scenes in Dorne.
Personally it was one of my favourite spots to visit, with its stunning dome ceilings, different colourful tiles in every room, beautiful courtyards and pretty gardens, it really is captivating.
The peaceful courtyard
The gardens and intricate doors
This dome is incredible
I loved the symmetry in this underground spa
2. Marvel at the Catedral de Sevilla…
The Cathedral is an incredible representation of Sevilla’s history, featuring influences from the original mosque that stood on the site originally built in the 12th century and influences from the Christian church which was constructed in the 13th century. It was damaged in an earthquake and they rebuilt the stunning cathedral that you see today.
The cathedral during the day with stunning blue skies
The Cathedral at sunset with the sun shining through the beautiful trees
3. Take a trip back in time, wandering the streets of barrio Santa Cruz…
During my second visit to Sevilla, I took part in a free walking tour with Sevilla Free Tours and learned all about the history of the Santa Cruz area. The tour guide was enthusiastic and informative and shared facts, stories and legends about the area which I would not have learned otherwise. I love taking walking tours and have done them now all over Europe and I always find the people knowledgeable and friendly and you always remember the quirky stories and legends that you hear.
The Santa Cruz area was historically the Jewish area of Seville, located directly beside the Palace, it was protected by the historic walls. During the hot summer days you will find that Santa Cruz is cooler than the rest of the city, the reason being that the streets are so narrow that the sun does not directly touch the ground. There is a street called ‘The kissing street’ where the balconies are so close that two lovers used to meet on them to kiss…because they were so close.
The kissing street – do you think you could reach from one balcony to the next?
The beautiful local shops in Santa Cruz – I was so tempted to buy everything! haha
The original entrance to Santa Cruz from the Palace courtyard
4. Find Spanish towns and cities at the Plaza de España…
Plaza de España is located in the Parque de María Luisa. It was a huge building project which was completed for the 1929 Exposición Iberoamericana. It is filled with intricate tiles which represent different places in Spain. It really is breathtaking. It is lovely to spend time walking around, exploring the different towns and cities, each one a different design. I visited ones that were particularly special to me and my life and that’s the lovely thing – that everyone will take away something different but lovely from their visit there.
It has Venetian style bridges and you can hire boats to go on
My special places were Barcelona and Madrid, where I called home at one point in my life
5. Discover the new architecture in Seville…
Las Setas (The mushrooms) is a striking piece of architecture and stands out from its surroundings. It was inspired by the vaults of the Cathedral of Sevilla and nearby trees in the Plaza de Cristo de Burgos.
Las Setas
Bonus experience!
Experience the Feria De Abril in Sevilla…
If you are lucky enough to visit the Feria De Abril, which takes place a few weeks after Easter (Semana Santa) usually in April but sometimes in May depending on when Easter falls, you are in for a treat! A week of traditional dancing, music, dressing up, eating tapas and drinking rebujito! You can read more about my experiences there at Why you should experience the Feria de Sevilla
I hope you have enjoyed this post on what to experience in Seville, Spain!
Please comment below if you have been or are planning a trip there!
The Wee Wanderer x x