Friday, January 31, 2014

A guide to Seville

Seville is an historical city located in the southern region of Andalucia, in Spain. Visitors will be able to climb up the Giralda bell tower to enjoy views towards the city and its river.
Photo Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:001_giralda.jpg

Visit the Cathedral and climb up the Giralda.

The city's symbol is the Giralda tower. The ancient cathedral's bell tower used to be a minaret that was part of a mosque. The cathedral was built on the ruins of the mosque, and the Giralda was transformed into a bell tower. The cathedral itself has five large naves, several chapels decorated with pieces of art, a choir, an organ, stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings. The Retablo Mayor is the main altar piece and was built using 36 gilded relief panels. Each panel depicts scenes from the Old Testament. After touring the cathedral visitors can climb up to the bell tower, which is known for its views towards the city center.

Take a tour around the city center.

Seville is located in the south of Spain, and can be reached by high speed AVE rail and by affordable flights to the city's airport, located a short distance away from the train station and the city center. The city of Seville can be explored on foot, in one of the horse-drawn carriages that can be found on the cathedral square and by boat along the Guadalquivir river. During a trip along the river guests can enjoy a meal and views towards the many ancient and new bridges. The Torre del Oro is located on one side of the river and is another one of the city's landmarks.

After a boat tour visitors can cross the Isabel II bridge to the Triana district. This ancient gypsy district has many tapas bars and places where visitors will be able to enjoy flamenco shows accompanied by guitars.

Near the Cathedral visitors will find the ancient Alcazar. This royal palace used to be a Moorish fort. There are courtyards decorated with ceramic tiles, fountains and several gardens. The halls are filled with colourful murals and carved wooden sculptures, and each hall has its own history.

The neighbourhood where the Alcazar and the Cathedral are located is the Barrio de Santa Cruz. This area has cobblestone streets and stone arches that lead to squares lined with orange trees. Many of the city's most famous tapas bars, restaurants serving traditional food and wineries are located here. Visitors will be able to taste the authenticgazpacho andaluz and salmorejo vegetable soups, gambas al ajillo shrimp with olive oil and garlic, taquitos de cazón bites of fried fresh fish, fried eggplant and stuffed olives.

Walk around the María Luisa Park.

The María Luisa Park is located on the banks of the Guadalquivir river. The park is known for its architecture and its paths. Visitors will be able to explore the park during a ride in one of the many horse-drawn carriages. In the center of the park is the Plaza de España square, a semicircular square lined with ancient buildings that are now used as history museums. The square has a river where visitors will be able to rent rowing boats. Part of the square is decorated with colorful ceramic niches and tiled benches. Each one of the niches represents a Spanish province, and the murals depict each of the province's landmarks and typical products.
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1 comment:

  1. Fabulous shot! The tower is impressive and that view beyond is wonderful.

    ReplyDelete

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