{"id":1114,"date":"2018-04-13T17:06:29","date_gmt":"2018-04-14T00:06:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lenkatraveler.com\/blog\/?p=1114"},"modified":"2019-01-07T23:35:27","modified_gmt":"2019-01-08T06:35:27","slug":"things-to-do-in-seville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lenkatraveler.com\/?p=1114","title":{"rendered":"Things to do in Seville"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Plaza de Espa\u00f1a<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Andalusia\u2019s capital is a city rich with Moorish heritage. This is visible in everything from the colourful painted tiles that adorn many buildings, to the\u00a0lobed arches of the palaces and of course the iconic Giralda tower, which was once a minaret.\u00a0Three of the things most associated with\u00a0Spain\u00a0are also typically Sevillian: Flamenco, tapas and toros! Come in spring, when the aroma of jasmine and\u00a0orange blossom carries on the breeze, and you can catch either the atmospheric solemnity of Semana Santa or the raucous merrymaking of the Feria de\u00a0Abril.<\/p>\n

Seville Cathedral<\/strong> –\u00a0This enormous structure is like a little world on its own, and you will lose hours staring in awe at the beautiful architectural flourishes, relics and\u00a0historical curios.\u00a0With 80 different chapels it\u2019s the largest cathedral in the world by volume and is a World Heritage site.\u00a0There are also hints of the mosque that once stood on this spot, especially in the Court of the Orange trees on the north side, where Muslims once\u00a0performed ablutions.\u00a0The big photo opportunity inside is definitely the tomb of Christopher Columbus, but there\u2019s something spectacular at almost every turn.<\/p>\n

La Giralda<\/strong> –\u00a0An enduring emblem for Seville, the Giralda is the bell-tower right next-door to the Cathedral, and you can purchase a ticket for both attractions.\u00a0It has Moorish origins, being the minaret for the former mosque.\u00a0What\u2019s unusual about the tower is that 34 ramps lead to the top instead of a stairway.\u00a0This was so that Muezzin who led the call to prayer could ride his horse up the tower instead of walking.\u00a0To break up the monotony of the climb there are regular archaeological exhibits on the way up.\u00a0And at the top the view is even better than you could hope for.<\/p>\n

Real Alc\u00e1zar<\/strong> –\u00a0This is a UNESCO-listed \u00a0palace complex that is still in use by the Spanish royal family: their chambers, state rooms and halls are on the\u00a0upper level and can be viewed if you pay a little extra.\u00a0Nearly all of the complex is in the Mud\u00e9jar style (Moorish-inspired architecture for non-Islamic buildings) and was developed by Pedro the Cruel during\u00a0the 14th-century.\u00a0There are small glimpses of the original Almohad palace on the Patio del Yeso, for instance.\u00a0On a visit you\u2019ll walk from courtyard to beautiful courtyard, look up at carved coffered ceilings and surround yourself in the lush greenery of the\u00a0sprawling gardens.\u00a0Fine views of the grounds can be had from the elevated Grutesco Gallery.<\/p>\n

Plaza de Espa\u00f1a<\/strong> –\u00a0This colossal monument was built for the Ibero-American Exposition in 1929 and stands within the Maria Luisa Park.\u00a0It\u2019s a semi-circular plaza edged by a canal and overlooked by a large, curved palace.\u00a0The palace contains many of the city\u2019s administrative buildings, but the reason to visit is to walk beneath the gallery.\u00a0You\u2019ll see busts of important national figures but also little installations for every province in Spain.\u00a0Using typical Sevillian azulejos (painted tiles) these displays showcase details like the local food and famous monuments in each part of the country.\u00a0It\u2019s like a quaint geography lesson and will hold your attention for a good few minutes.<\/p>\n

Maria Luisa Park<\/strong> –\u00a0The largest green space in central Seville originally belonged to the nearby San Telmo Palace, dating to the 1500s.\u00a0In the late-19th century the grounds were donated to the city by Infanta Luisa Fernanda and took their present shape after a remodel in 1911. Maria Luisa\u00a0is one of those parks with a pleasant surprise down every path, whether it\u2019s an ornamental pond, pavilion, sculpture or tiled fountain.\u00a0The park\u2019s broad avenues have twin-rows of tall palm trees, while the body of the park, woven with little trails, is a large botanical garden with unusual\u00a0species from around the world.<\/p>\n

Triana<\/strong> –\u00a0On the left bank of the Guadalquivir, opposite the old city is the Triana neighborhood.\u00a0This part of the city is credited for many of the things people associate with Sevillian culture, like painted ceramics and flamenco.\u00a0The main way in is via the Isabel Bridge close to the bullfighting arena.\u00a0You\u2019ll arrive at the Plaza de Altozano, which has a much-photographed statue of a flamenco dancer, a \u201cmonument to the flamenco art\u201d.\u00a0Check out the area\u2019s Moorish revival and baroque architecture and pop into one of the many tile and ceramics shops for authentic azulejos tiles.<\/p>\n

Right Bank of the\u00a0Guadalquivir<\/strong> –\u00a0Starting at the Isabel Bridge you can set off on a very enjoyable riverside walk south towards the University of Seville.\u00a0On a sunny day Seville\u2019s residents will be out for walks, riding bikes, jogging or sitting on the stone walls looking across the water\u00a0to Triana.\u00a0You can come off the riverside to see the Plaza de Toros, the 250-year-old bullfighting arena.\u00a0Further down is the Torre del Oro, an ornate watchtower erected during the days of the Almohad Caliphate in the 13th century, now housing a maritime\u00a0museum.<\/p>\n

Tablaos and Flamenco Shows<\/strong> –\u00a0No matter the time of year you can be sure that there will be flamenco shows happening across the city on any evening.\u00a0A tablao is a good way to watch a show, with live musicians and either a bar or restaurant service.\u00a0If you\u2019re staying near the Cathedral then Tablao El Arenal would be a good option, with two performances a night (each lasting 90 minutes) and a choice\u00a0of tapas or full dinner.\u00a0People visiting Seville in spring or autumn can catch the Pe\u00f1as de Guardia, a series of shows organised for local or up-and-coming flamenco talent.<\/p>\n

Archaeological Museum<\/strong> –\u00a0This attraction is part of ensemble built for the Ibero-American Exposition, collecting the most important artefacts from the archaeological sites around\u00a0the Seville Province.\u00a0The most exciting finds are from the Bronze Age: For example, dating to the 8th century BC is Treasure of El Carombolo.\u00a0This hoard belonged to either the local Tartessos Culture that lived on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, or to the Phoenicians.\u00a0It\u2019s a hoard of 21 pieces of gold jewellery, and after replicas had been on display for many years the original items were installed in 2012.<\/p>\n

Museum of Arts and Traditions<\/strong> –\u00a0Also part of the Exposition is this surprisingly diverting museum covering Seville\u2019s traditional industries, households and customs.\u00a0Here you\u2019ll see everyday items from throughout Seville\u2019s history, including ceramics from the 16th-century and large displays of swords and knives\u00a0forged in the city.\u00a0One section leads you through the various workshops relating to Seville\u2019s historic trades, such as tile-making, metalwork, lacework \u00a0and barrel-making\u00a0for the local sherry (fino).<\/p>\n

Museum of Fine Arts<\/strong> –\u00a0Walking around the older parts of the city, the buildings that don\u2019t look Moorish have a highly ornate baroque style.\u00a0This is because the 17th and 18th centuries were a time of great wealth for Seville, which gave rise to a whole cultural movement.\u00a0At the Museo de Bellas Artes you can see the painting and sculpture from the Sevillian School.\u00a0Much of the work here is religious and comes from monasteries and convents around the city that were closed down in the 19th-century and brought\u00a0here.\u00a0The building is also fabulous, with a series of peaceful courtyards<\/p>\n

Feria de Abril<\/strong> –\u00a0Southwest of Seville, in Los Remedios, are the fairgrounds where this five-day event takes place, beginning on the Tuesday and wrapping up with\u00a0fireworks on the Sunday.\u00a0The scene will almost knock you off your feet, where some thousand tents are erected and guys and girls go around in traditional costume.\u00a0The women will wear the \u201ctraje de gitano\u201d, typical polka dot flamenco dresses, while many men will wear the short waistcoats and wide-brimmed hats.\u00a0During the Fair people will eat, drink and dance traditional Sevillanas until dawn.\u00a0Early evening there\u2019s fun for kids at the fairground, with horseback rides and classic fair amusements.<\/p>\n

Semana Santa<\/strong> –\u00a0The Holy Week processions in Seville are Spain\u2019s most famous.\u00a0From Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday sombre penitents will march through the streets wearing sandals, robes and those slightly eerie pointed hoods.\u00a0These groups belong to brotherhoods attached to churches across the city and will carry large and very decorative floats portraying passion scenes and\u00a0weeping Virgins.\u00a0Everything builds up to Maundy Thursday, when the city\u2019s central plazas put up grandstand seating and women attending even dress in black.\u00a0On this night the processions make their steady way around the centre until the morning.<\/p>\n

Italica<\/strong> –\u00a0Get on a bus at the station at Plaza de Armas and within half an hour you\u2019ll be at the birthplace of the Roman Emperors Trajan and Hadrian.\u00a0Italica is a massive archaeological site, the highlight of which is the amphitheatre.\u00a0This seated 25,000 spectators in its heyday, and you can nose around the tunnels beneath the terraces of seating, and see the subterranean structure at the\u00a0centre of the arena.\u00a0On what would have been the seats of the ancient city are the foundations of mansions and temples, where complete mosaics can still be seen.<\/p>\n

Tapas<\/strong> –\u00a0Seville is the home of tapas, and the alleys and twisting streets around the Cathedral, Ayuntamiento building and the riverside have tons of tapas bars.\u00a0What\u2019s fun is the way many of these joints will have one or two specialities, so an evening can be a crawl from bar to bar, with something delicious to\u00a0try at each stop.\u00a0This can be patatas bravas (spicy potatoes), chipirones (deep-fried baby squid), queso manchego, cured ham, oxtail stew, and prawns with garlic.\u00a0One sit-down restaurant that is turning heads at the moment is La Brunilda on Calle Galera with exquisitely-presented little dishes that add some modern\u00a0flair to traditional favourites like ham croquettes and pulpo (octopus).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Andalusia\u2019s capital is a city rich with Moorish heritage. This is visible in everything from the colourful painted tiles that adorn many buildings, to the\u00a0lobed arches of the palaces and of course the iconic Giralda tower, which was once a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eu","category-things-to-do"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lenkatraveler.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lenkatraveler.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lenkatraveler.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lenkatraveler.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lenkatraveler.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1114"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lenkatraveler.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1114\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1201,"href":"https:\/\/lenkatraveler.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1114\/revisions\/1201"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lenkatraveler.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lenkatraveler.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lenkatraveler.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lenkatraveler.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}