Seville city - Sevilla, Spain

Seville city is the capital of both Seville province and Andalusia, the southern region of Spain. It's a beautiful and historic city and it's a great destination for your holidays where sun, light, culture, history, folclore and outdoor life are all to be found under an intense blue and mostly cloudless sky.

Monuments of Seville city, Spain

Seville's main monuments are:

- the Cathedral of Seville

- the Giralda Tower

- the Alcazar palace and

- the Archive of the Indies

This group of monuments was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987

Very popular as well is Plaza de España (the spanish square) in the María Luisa Park. In this area you can find many interesting buildings, reminders of the Latin American Exhibition which took place in Seville in 1929.
Plaza de España has been the scenery of episode II of George Lucas' STAR WARS.

You can also take a look at the Royal Tobacco Factory where the famous story of Carmen (by Bizet) took place. Now it is the main building of the university of Seville.

Situated on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, the Torre del Oro is a building of arabic origin (C. XIII) which once formed part of the city walls. Due to it's close links with spanish maritime history, it was chosen as the site of the Naval Museum. This tower marks the entrance to the Arenal district; the bullfight sector of Seville. Here you can find one of the most emblematic bullrings of Spain, the Real Maestranza de Caballería bullring of Seville .

Popular districts of Seville, Spain

In the center of Seville, Spain can be found more well-known streets such as Sierpes or Campana, as well as numerous churches, hospitals and renaissance and baroque palaces. Moreover in the Macarena district you can find the Alameda de Hércules, the Hospital de las Cinco Llagas (site of the Parliament of Andalucia), the Basilica of the Macarena and the San Lorenzo Church. The latter house two statues revered by the people of Seville: la Virgen de la Esperanza and Jésus del Gran Poder, celebrated during the processions in Semana Santa.

Another of the more traditional districts of Seville is that of Triana, on the other side of the river. Its profound maritime tradition can be seen in the streets Pureza, Betis or Alfarería and in Plaza del Altozano.

The Isla de la Cartuja is situated on this bank of the river, where bulidings remaining from the The 1992 Univeral Exhibition add to the existing historical monuments of the Cartuja and the Andalusian Center for Contemporary Art.

The city of Seville has a rich history due to former Arab occupation and it's role as a prosperous commercial port at the time of colonization of the Americas. The many streets and squares of the Andalusian capital ooze fun and energy and there is an interesting mix of UNESCO World Heritage buildings and typical districts such as Triana or La Macarena.

Traditional celebrations in Seville

 
Semana santa - Holy week (easter) in Seville: March 28 - April 04, 2010

Feria de Sevilla - April fair of Seville: April 20 - 25, 2010

Shopping in Seville Spain

In the bustling old town you will find the main shoping area with shops of all kinds. In Plaza Nueva and the pedestrian zone in and around Sierpes and Tetuán Streets there are highstreet shops and department stores as well shops selling souvenirs, crafts, leather goods, guitars, flamenco outfits, fans and embroidery.
On the other side of the river in the narrow streets of Triana there are numerous specialist ceramic shops.

Museums in Seville, Spain

Museums, art galleries, theme parks, cinemas, theatres and night clubs are only a few of the infinite possibilities that a large city like Seville can offer. Not forgetting the city's most tasty and oldest passtime: 'el tapeo'; which involves going for drinks and snacks (tapas) in various bars.

 The interesting Flamenco Museum provides the key to understanding the magical world of flamenco dancing. A visit to this museum is an essential for any visitor to Seville, for those who want to know more about Andalusian culture, those who want to understand and experience flamenco dancing, tourists and Andalusians alike. The museum is promoted by flamenco dancer Cristina Hoyos.