The Andalusian city of Seville is located in the south of Spain. Here you will find wonderful architecture, museums, beautiful gardens, bullfighting and of course you will be able to hear the famous Flamenco music.

SIGHTSEEING

The main Gothic and Moorish buildings in the old quarter of Seville are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Gothic Cathedral of Seville was built on the site of a former mosque. Some parts of the mosque were reused for the cathedral, including a minaret which was made into the Giralda (bell tower). This bell tower has a statue known as El Giraldillo at its peak which represents faith. The tower did not have any stairs, just ramps, which allowed the Muezzin (Islamic religious official) to ride to the top on horseback. The bell tower offers magnificent views across the city.

Opposite the cathedral is the Alcazar which was once a Moorish Palace. The gardens here are a wonderful traditional mixture of Moorish, Christian and Andalusian design.

The Torre del Oro was built as a defensive watchtower overlooking the river.

The baroque style University of Seville is located on the site of the first tobacco factory in Europe. It is said that this 18th century building was the inspiration for the opera Carmen.

The Plaza de Espana, located in Parque de Maria Luisa, was constructed for the Spanish-American Exhibition in 1929. Built on the outer edge of the park, the Plaza de Espana was a showcase for the countrys industry and technology exhibitions.

The city has many museums including the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Traditional Arts & Customs in the Parque de Maria Luisa, the Flamenco Art Museum, the Bullfighting Museum, the Maritime Museum, the Army Museum and the Carriages Museum.

Seville has many parks and gardens, too many to mention, among the finest are the beautifully landscaped Parque de Maria Luisa with its many monuments, the terraced Alcazar Gardens, the Gardens of Murillo, the Gardens of Catalina de Ribera and La Isla Magica (Cartuja Island) which is a theme park built on the site of the 1992 Universal Exposition of Seville.

FESTIVALS

The two most important festivals of Seville take place during the spring. These are Semana Santa and Feria de Sevilla.

The towns around Seville hold many festivals including the Day of Inmaculada (December) when the city’s students dress in medieval costumes and perform tradition songs at the statue of the Virgin Inmaculada. The following day the children perform the Danza de los Seises in the cathedral.
In January there is the Procession of the Three Magi who go around on horsedrawn carriages giving sweets and gifts to the children.  

CLIMATE

Seville summers are extremely hot with July being the hottest month with temperatures reaching an average high of 35C and an average low of 19C.
Winters are mild with January being the coldest month with average highs of 16C and average lows of 5C.

For your direct holidays to Spain why not take a look on the internet where you will find loads of bargain holidays on offer.

If you would like more information on Spain please take a look at my Spain Blog where you will find all of my latest articles.