Séville

The Gothic cathedral, one of the largest in the world, houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus and a huge altarpiece adorned with 1,500 sculptures. Giralda Tower, a former minaret converted into a bell tower, is a reminder of its past as a mosque. From the top, the panoramic view over the roofs of the city is breathtaking.

Alcazar Palace, a masterpiece of Mudejar architecture, boasts richly decorated rooms and fragrant gardens. The Plaza de España, immortalised by George Lucas in ‘Star Wars’, sparkles at sunset with its brick and ceramic pavilions. To get there, take a horse-drawn carriage, as romantic as it gets!

But Seville can also be experienced in the Santa Cruz district, a maze of whitewashed cobbled streets. At midday, you're almost alone in the world, wandering between patios illuminated by orange trees and white houses with shutters. At night, tapas bars line the streets, with delicious dishes accompanied by wine, fritters and ham.

Seville is also looking to the future. The 1992 Universal Exhibition marked an initial leap forward. Recently, the Metropol Parasol, a gigantic wooden structure topping the Plaza de la Encarnacion, offers a unique viewpoint. On the other side of the River Guadalquivir, Triana, the old bullfighting and flamenco school district, retains all its charm with its colourful facades and music bars.

Seville's warm nights are more than just a legend: they are intensely alive!

Sites and monuments

• The Gothic cathedral, 130 m long and surmounted by the Giralda, a former minaret decorated with rich arabesques transformed into a campanile. 
• Church of the Divine Salvador, which houses about fifteen richly-decorated baroque altarpieces.
• La Casa de Pilatos, an elegant palace that bears witness to Mudejar art (a mixture of Gothic and Muslim art).
• Metropol Parasol, a 28 m high wooden structure over the Plaza de la Encarnacion.
• The Alfonso XIII, a sublime Mudejar-inspired hotel, ideal for enjoying a cup of tea or coffee.
• The bullring (Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza) with whitewashed walls and ochre-coloured frames, which houses a bullfighting museum.

Parks and gardens

• The Alcázar gardens - romantic with their fountains rising among the palm trees. They can also be viewed from the arcaded gallery overlooking them.

Museums

• The Museum of Fine Arts housed in a former seventeenth century convent, to admire the masterpieces of El Greco, Velasquez, Murillo...
• The Flamenco Museum, all you need to know about this artistic expression classified as an intangible heritage of UNESCO.
• Andalusian Centre for Contemporary Art, which exhibits modern works in a beautifully restored old monastery. 

• To live to the rhythm of flamenco, visit the Lina boutique workshops frequented by celebrities, before heading to the flamenco museum, where you can learn a few steps. Finish with an authentic show, for example at La Carboneria. Olé! 
• Just 100 kilometres from Seville, Ronda is one of the oldest cities in Spain. Surrounded by the mountains of the Serrania de Ronda, it stands like a look-out on a cliff that falls steeply into the Guadalevin river. It is the birthplace of bullfighting and home to the famous bullring.

Starters

• Tapas - finger food invented in Andalusia (hams, meat, anchovies, cheese...), to be shared with friends. 
• Hams - Serrano from white pigs and Iberico ham, produced from black pigs fed on acorns.
• Gazpacho - the famous chilled vegetable soup (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers...), an Andalusian speciality.

Dishes

• Migas - a popular dish that mixes breadcrumbs and garlic
• Berenjenas fritas - fried aubergines with honey topping
• Paella - the Spanish dish par excellence, combining  rice coloured with saffron, chicken, pork, crayfish... 
• Tortilla - a kind of omelette made from eggs and potatoes, sometimes with onions.
• Kidneys with Sherry - roast kidneys with flavours sweetened by the wine
• Bull tail - served as a stew in sauce

Desserts

• Tocino del cielo - a caramel cream from Jerez, another Andalusian city
• Turron - a nougat-like confectionery made from egg white, honey, sugar and almonds.

Drinks 

• La cerveza* (beer) - you can enjoy it very cold or as a blend (with lemonade). 
• Sherry* - white wine from the Jerez region (100 km from Seville) - the "finos" are dry and light, the "olorosos" have more body and go well with meat. They be up to 15°, sometimes 22°! 
• Manzanilla* - a dry white wine served as an aperitif or to accompany tapas.
• Horchata - a non-alcoholic drink with a milky appearance produced from yellow tiger nuts, a kind of local papyrus.

*alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, consume in moderation