Seville an Andalusian City

Seville is the capital of the Andalusia region in southern Spain. This is the place to visit to see some intense flamenco dancing. The city has many architectural marvels, impressive cathedrals, and Christopher Columbus’ tomb.

The Alamillo Bridge spans the Guadalquivir River, the main river flowing through Seville. This magnificent bridge is the creation of Santiago Calatrava, a Spanish architect, who had it built in his trademark bright white color. It is a cable-stayed bridge with a 200m long span. One of the bridge's, most impressive highlights is the 142m tall pylon that slants gracefully at an angle of 68 degrees. The bridge is located just north of Seville’s historic center and can be best seen from the banks of the San Jeronimo Park. It looks lovely at night when it’s illuminated.

Impressive Alcazar was built in the 1300s and has now become a UNESCO World Heritage site. The fort has been reconstructed many times through the centuries. In the 11th century, Seville’s wealthy Muslim taifa or small kingdom rulers developed the original fort and built a palace called Al-Muwarak, or the Blessed in what is today the western part of the Alcazar. Another palace was added by the Almohad rulers in the 12th century and between the years 1364 and 1366 Pedro I created what is known as the Alcazar’s crown jewel – Mudejar Palacio de Don Pedro. All of the patios and palaces are a sight to behold and a delight to the eye with many treasures to view. After you have feasted your eyes on all the beauty here take some time to step out into the gardens. These are small linked gardens with pools and fountains.

Outside the Jardines del Alcazar gardens are lovely. There are ornamental pools, fountains, palms, orange trees, and roses. You can see peacocks wandering about.

Quite a sight to behold is Seville’s cathedral, Cathedral de Sevilla the world's largest Gothic cathedral. The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It stands on the site of the great 12th century Almohad mosque along with the mosque’s minaret the Giralda still there beside it today.

The Giralda is a 104m decorative brick tower located on the northeastern side of the cathedral. At the very top of the Giralda is a 16th-century bronze weathervane that represents “faith” and has become a symbol of the city. You’ll find the entrance to the Giralda inside of the cathedral. The climb to the belfry is an easy one as a series of ramps go upwards and were built so that guards could ride all the way up on horseback.

Many rooms and many treasures to see and the one thing many visitors come to see is the monumental tomb of Christopher Columbus found inside the Door of the Princes.

The place to go in Seville for a breath of fresh air and to do some relaxing is Maria Luisa Park. There are shady paths beneath tall trees and duck ponds. Lovely flowers to adore as well.

Within the park is Plaza de Espana with fountains and mini-canals and you can hire a row boat to go through the canals. The plaza’s central structure has two tall towers at each end which are connected by a long colonnaded gallery. In the center of the plaza is a large central fountain. All of this is surrounded by a canal and lovely bridges with a wide promenade.

At the south end of the park is the Provincial Archeological Museum with magnificent Roman sculptures and mosaics. There is also a room full of gold jewelry from the mysterious Tartessos culture.

A most photographed landmark in Seville is the Golden Tower located at a wide promenade near the river bank near the historic center of the city. This tower comes from the Almohades, a Moorish dynasty. The watch tower was built about 1220 by order of Governor Abu Eola. Today this tower is home to a naval museum that displays a collection of the city’s maritime history and its connection to the New World.

A place to see in the city is Triana the bustling old quarter found on the left bank of the Guadalquivir River and connected to the city by the iconic bridge of Isabell II or Puente de Triana. At one time this was known as the gypsy neighborhood but as it expanded it now includes many charming paved streets, ceramic shops, lovely churches, interesting tapas bars, and wonderful traditions. This is the neighborhood to visit for a truly traditional feel of the heart of Seville.

Museo del Belles Artes/Museum of Fine Arts is housed in the Convento de la Merced Calzada. It has the best collection of paintings in Spain after the Prado in Madrid. The collection includes artwork from the Gothic period through the 20th century. After touring the museum you can relax in the plaza outside where there is a fountain.

The Museo del Baile Flamenco celebrates flamenco in all aspects dancing, singing, and guitar. The museum displays flamenco costumes, video displays, and other educational exhibits.

There is also a Flamenco School and the museum hosts professional Flamenco performances.

A sight to behold is the Metropole Parasol created by German architect Jurgen Mayer H. You’ll find this architectural marvel in Plaza de la Encarnacion, one of Seville’s traditional shopping squares. This just might be the largest wooden building in the world with a honeycombed roof that is supported by five giant mushroom-like pillars.

This is home to the Antiquarium Museum and on level two you can take a walk along a panoramic walkway with awesome views of the city. Inside is also a former market that was on the plaza, a restaurant, and a concert space.

The Real Maestranza de Caballeria de Sevilla is one of the finest bullrings in Spain. It was built in 1761 and is an emblematic landmark of Seville. Its design is Baroque. There is a special box, the Palco de Principe that is reserved for members of the Spanish royal family. The bullring also has a museum with traditional matador costumes, photographs, and paintings that are all related to bullfighting.