Stopover in Seville

Seville is with Grenade and Cordoba, in the historic Andalucian triangle.

The monuments in Seville have had many influences (Arabic, Spanish, among others) since they were transformed over the centuries.

Here are the main sights in Seville :
- The Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza
Near the Guadalquivir river, you can admire the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza, the corrida centre of Seville. Near it, you can see the beautiful Torre del Oro, a 13th century tower.

- Santa Cruz
The most beautiful part of Seville. Here you can find its most famous monuments: the cathedral and the Giralda. Near it, there are several narrow streets where you can eat great tapas.

- The Alcázar, the most stunning monument of Seville. Many rooms and patios beautifully decorated.

Seville is also a great place for dining out and enjoying the Spanish nightlife.

Also if you want to watch a corrida, Seville is the place to see one. There is usually one corrida per week and the prices vary according to the fame of the matadors and the seats.

Quick Tips:

- Going out and shopping : Santa Cruz offers the most varied choice of tapas bars, restaurants, cafes, trendy shops etc.

- If you feel too hot during the summer, ice-creams and fruit juices can be found everywhere in Seville.

- Corridas : in case of a major corrida (and not a Novillada - cheaper corrida -), book far in advance if you want to have a seat. You can book on the net. www.ticketstoros.com

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get around Seville is on foot if your hotel is near or in the city centre.

The main attractions are close one to another and if it is too hot, there are many ice-cream parlours or cafetarias where you can relax and enjoy the a/c.

Getting away from Seville is easy: there are numerous buses and trains (and even planes) going to major Spanish cities everyday. To reach Seville from abroad, the best option is to land into Malaga as flights are cheaper and go to Seville by bus from there.

I had booked a double room for me and a friend on the net, expecting this hotel to be close to the Cathedral and the Alcazar.

I was a bit disappointed when I arrived there. I found it to be not especially close to the cathedral (about 20 minutes by walk), and also disappointed that this hotel was not truly Sevillan it its decoration (like it was advertised), but it is nonetheless a nice place to stay in.

This nice hotel in is designed around three patios, in the Sevillan way (so it says!). People at the reception do not speak good English, so knowing a bit of Spanish would help. It is located near the old city and you can have fun wandering in the narrow streets looking for the way to the cathedral (the old city is located on your right when you get out of the hotel).

It is expensive during the high season for the services it provides. For a double room, the official price is:
- 158 euros in high season (The Feria in April and special events in Seville)
- 58 euros in low season -January, February, July, August, and November
- 70 euros in mid-season -the other months of the year

I find that outside the high season, the price is reasonable for a big European city like Seville and the spacious rooms are worth it.

The clean rooms all overlook one of the three patios and have a television, telephone, a/c, heating, and a fully equipped bathroom. There is also a small cafeteria, a meeting room, and a laundry.

There are a few small restaurants in the area (but I would recommend eating in the old city rather than in the main street near the hotel). However, there is a great ice-cream parlour and several good Spanish pubs and tapas bars in or near the main street.

The hotel can be booked through the net. For more info about the hotel: www.hotelmarian.com/hotel_seville/hotel_seville.htm

Do not book rooms directly on the hotel site but compare prices on other hotel booking sites as rates may be slightly cheaper.

"Let's build a temple so huge that all those who will see it finished will think we are crazy". That is what the priests said before the Cathedral Santa Maria de la Sede was built.

Open Monday to Saturday from 10:30am to 6pm, and Sunday from 2pm to 5pm, the entrance fees are moderate (6 euros in 2006) and it should not stop you from enjoying the visit. There is a security checkpoint after you have bought your tickets. You are allowed to take photos inside.

It’s a must-see while in Seville; the Cathedral is the biggest Spanish church and the third biggest in the world after Saint Peter in Rome and Saint Paul in London. The Cathedral is Gothic in style. Its construction started at the end of the 14th century but four centuries were necessary for it to have its current appearance.

The Cathedral was built on the location of an ancient almohade mosque and there are still some oriental vestiges in the Cathedral.

The inside of the Cathedral is impressive, not only because it is huge, but also because of its religious devotion atmosphere typical of the Sevillans. The marvellous altarpiece in the Cathedral Nave (the highest part is mudejar in style) is considered as the biggest in the world (20 metres high and 13.20 metres large). For it only, the Cathedral is worth a visit.

History was generous with the Cathedral: it welcomed the remains of many famous people. For instance, you can see the sepulchre of Cristobal Colón, or the Cardinal Cervantes's tomb (the one who wrote Don Quichotte).

In the Royal Chapel built in the middle of the 16th century, lies the tomb of Alfonso X and in a silver urn, rests the intact body of Ferdinand III the Saint, whose sword lies in the Chapel's Treasury Room.

Also, there is an important museum of Paintings in the Cathedral where you can admire paintings of Murillo, Valdés, Leal, Jordaens, Zurbarán, Morales, Pedro de la Campaña, etc.

The Cathedral of Seville has enough to occupy art lovers for hours. It is best to visit it on your own with a private guide or with your own guidebook (you can find many guidebooks on the Cathedral in souvenir shops) instead of joining a one-day tour of Seville which will allow you only a one-hour visit of the Cathedral.

Entrance of the Alcazar is through the medieval Gate of León. The fee is 7.5 euros and the audio guide is extra. The ticket includes the visit of the Alcazar and the Reales Alcazares (Gardens of Alcazar). There are discounts for students, disabled people, and seniors.

Of the first Alcazar of Seville, built by Abbadide Moslems for the Cordoban governors of Seville from 913, only remain the almohade wall and the Patio del Yeso, behind the Patio of Banderas. It was extended every century and rebuilt by Pierre the Cruel then it underwent various transformations under the reign of Jean II, of the Catholic Kings and of Charles V.

The mudejar part of the Alcazar - due to the Moors and the Sevillan masons and the decorators of Toledo, and whose construction goes back to 1326 is impressive by the symphony of colors, its stucco filigrees and its enamels. The main facade is one of the most beautiful examples of Spanish Mudejar art.

On the main floor of the Alcazar which you access by a beautiful 16th century staircase, you can visit the Chapel of the Catholic Kings, the bedroom of King Don Pedro, the Dining room in which you can admire a splendid collection of carpets, the Children Rooms, the Music Room, etc, whose design was strongly influenced by Arab Art.

You can also visit the famous Gardens of the Alcazar, curious synthesis of Arab and Renaissance Art where you will smell the lovely perfume of the flowers and hear the poetic murmur of the fountains. It is a great place to escape the summer heat of Seville.

When you will get out of the Alcazar through the Patio de las Banderas with your head full of magnificent images, you will see the Cathedral and its Giralda hidden behind trees.

If you like Arab art and architecture, the Alcazar of Seville is the visit not to miss while in Seville. It is as beautiful as the Alhambra of Granada or the Mosque of Cordoba. 

Next to the Cathedral, the stunning Alcazar can be visited:
Tuesday to Saturday 10:30am to 5pm
Sunday 10:30am to 1pm

From June to September:
Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 1pm and 5pm to 7pm
Sunday 10:30am to 1pm

Even though bullfighting is considered, outside Spain, as a cruel and useless sport it is an integral part of the Spanish traditions and especially in Andalucia. It reveals the dramatic Spanish soul: loving life and playing with death (either the torero or the bull will win the fight).

The arenas of La Maestranza are without any doubt one of the prestigious top-places of bullfighting. They were built in the 17th century and were restored in the middle of the 19th century. The architecture of the arenas of Seville is in perfect harmony with its history and its prestige.

The history of bullfighting in Seville is as old as its fame. The most important dates of bullfighting in Seville are the ‘Feria,’ in April, Easter Sunday, and Corpus Christi day. Attending a bullfight in Seville, it is seeing a coloured spectacle.

It is possible to visit la Maestranza outside corridas times for a small fee but to grasp the respectful atmosphere inside it, you have to watch a novillada (corrida by beginner toreros or novillados) or a corrida at evenings.

There is usually a novillada every week in Seville during the summer; it is easier to get a ticket for a novillada than a corrida (often sold out). Prices vary according to the seat (back or front seat, under the sun or not) and the fame of the toreros. I paid 10 euros for a seat to watch a novillada. For a corrida, it is much more expensive.

I would definitely recommend visiting La Maestranza during a spectacle if you are not cold-blooded and if you want to have a grasp of the true Spanish soul. Do not forget to bring a white handkerchief with you because when the spectators are happy with the bullfighter's performance, they show a white handkerchief to him.