Must See Attractions In Seville, Spain juni 22, 2020 – Posted in: Spain, Travel – Tags: Andalusia, Attractions, Holiday, Seville, Spain, Vacation

ATTRACTIONS IN SEVILLE

What sights are a must see in Seville? In the Andalusian city there’s plenty to see, lots of culture and history – so much you wan’t have time for it all. The atmosphere in Seville also invites you to relax, eat tapas and in general just to enjoy life, so it’s a hard choice. Solve it by booking a few extra nights, because there are just too many things to see and do in Seville!

Actually there’s much more, than there was room for writing about here. This is why we in the end came down with a list of the very best things to see. In this article you can read about the best sights in Seville. If you want to know more about events and attractions in Seville, you will find the tourist information and a calendar of concerts and other events in Seville by clicking on the various links.

8 BEAUTIFUL ATTRACTIONS IN SEVILLE

LA GIRALDA

The great cathedral of Seville was , like La Mezquita in Cordoba, originally built as a mosque. The cathedral tower, La Giralda, was therefore also originally a minaret, and this is evident in the transition from the beautiful Moorish patterns to the Catholic Renaissance swirls on the bell tower at the top.

Also the beautiful gate, Puerta del Perdon, testifies to the presence of the Moors in Andalusia for 700 years. It is also here in the cathedral that the earthly remains of Christoffer Columbus are buried.

Read more here: Catedral de Sevilla

REAL ALCAZAR DE SEVILLA

The Royal Palace of Seville, Real Alcazar, was originally built by the Moors as a fort. The beautiful ornaments and gardens with the rippling fountains bring back memories of the time Seville was in Moorish hands. There is free admission Monday-Friday from 6 pm to 7 pm from April to September and from October to March between 4-5 pm.

Read more here: Real Alcázar de Sevilla

PLAZA DE ESPANA

Do you remember the beautiful scene from Star Wars in Attack of the Clones? Here Anakin and Padmé walk through corridor of pillars on the planet Naboo? In fact, the scene was filmed here in the Plaza de Espana, and it’s understandable why George Lucas chose these beautiful surroundings.

Today it is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Seville, and there is a queue on the small bridge where everyone must have their photo taken. But still, the beauty of the large building complex can completely take your breath away. The reddish-yellow stones, the thousands of ceramic tiles and the tall towers that rise above the square are definitely worth a visit.

Read more here: Plaza de Espana

BULLFIGHTING IN REAL MAESTRANZA

The ritual battle against the bull has deep roots in Andalusia. In Seville, from spring to autumn, you can watch bullfighting in one of the most famous bullfighting arenas in the world. The large arena is built like a Roman amphitheater with seating for 12,000 people and you have to be out well in advance if you want to buy a ticket.

Read more here: Real Maestranza

LA TORRE DEL ORO

Down by the river Guadalquivir floats by the golden tower, La Torre del Oro. The tower is part of the ancient Moorish fortifications that originally surrounded the city. When standing there, it’s not hard to imagine how the harbor was once full of the large wooden ships that sailed out to America, including Columbus at the helm.

Read more here: La Torre del Oro

FLAMENCO – THE DANCE OF THE SOUL

Flamenco is part of the soul of the Andalusian people. Both a form of music and a dance, it was originally developed by the Andalusian gitanos (gypsies) in the 19th century. In flamenco, the deepest emotions are expressed, often sadness and melancholy.

However, there is nothing sad about attending a flamnco show and it is one of the experiences you should give yourself when visiting Seville. There are many flamenco shows in the city, but the more exquisite ones can be found at the festival La Bienal de Flamenco, which takes place in September (in even years). The flamenco museum Museo del Baile Flamenco has daily performances, as does La Casa del Flamenco.

LAS SETAS – TAKE A WALK OVER THE CITY ROOFS

One of the more striking sights in Seville is the large “tree-mushrooms” that you can take a walk on. From Plaza de la Encarnación you can ascend the gigantic wooden structure known to the locals as Las Setas, the Mushrooms. Metropol Parasol, as the place is more correctly called, allows you to go for a walk all the way up over the city roofs. And there is a great view of the city! In the basement you can see the Roman ruins that were unearthed when the digging started for Las Setas.

Read more here: Las Setas

ITÁLICA – ALSO FOR YOU WHO LOVE GAME OF THRONES

A 30 minutes ride from the bus station at Plaza de Armas takes you to the ancient Roman city of Itálica. If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones, you’ll probably recognize The Dragonpit. There are daily guided tours that tell about both Italicá and the locations in the series.

Also for those of you who have never seen Game of Thrones, Italicá is worth more than one visit. The area is large and new excavations are constantly underway. Once you have admired the beautiful amphitheater, go out into the area and see, among other things, the beautiful mosaics with images of birds, plants and people. Remember to bring water and sunscreen.

Read more here: Italicá

FIND A GREAT HOTEL IN SEVILLE

Seville is a surprisingly inexpensive city when it comes to hotel prices. You can get a lot of value for your money when on holiday in the Andalusian city. The old medieval part of Santa Cruz in the center of the city is the most expensive area. Here you are within walking distance to sights and shopping. In the northern part of the city you can find many cheap hotels, hostels and apartments.

It is highly recommended to find an air-conditioned hotel if you want to sleep well at night! Here you get recommendations for good hotels in Seville, all of which can be booked directly through Booking.com. See more hotels by doing your own search here:

Booking.com

A HOTEL RIGHT BY THE RIVER AND THE RESTAURANTS

The first time we were in Seville, in 2018, we stayed at Hotel Gravina 51 in the beautiful, old city center and close to the river Guadalquivir. At Hotel Gravina 51 you sleep in the most beautiful rooms, decorated in Moorish style and with cool tiles and dark shutters to take the worst of the heat.

You can also relax in the small atrium courtyard with the rippling fountain or enjoy the cooling breeze by the river, which is within walking distance. In the other direction, but just as close, you will find many good restaurants. Read more here: Hotel Gravina 51

A HOTEL OVERLOOKING THE HIP ROOFTOP BAR OF LA GIRALDA

In 2021, we came past Seville again. This time, Rune decided to spoil his girlfriend and accommodated us on the amazing Fontecruz Sevilla Seises. Hotel Gravina 51 is nice – but La Seises, as it is also called, is just something completely unique.

From the hip bar on the roof terrace – with a pool! – you can look directly over at the cathedral La Giralda. The rooms in what was in the 17th century the palace of the archbishop are sparsely furnished so that the beautiful high vaulted rooms can shine in their own simple beauty. But the building is even older, because in the basement you will find the foundation of a Roman ruin with a well-preserved mosaic.

At Fontecruz Sevilla Seises you live as centrally as possible. When you step out the door, you are in the restaurant street Calle Segovia, and if you turn right, you enter the narrow, old streets, where small shops are located side by side. Read more here: Fontecruz Sevilla Seises

A LOVELY APARTMENT FOR A FAMILY

In 2022, we were in Seville for the third time. This time we had Ivan with us and thus needed an extra room. We ended up finding the best apartment right on Torro del Oro, the big tower by the river. In addition to the bedroom and a room with a single bed, there was also a sofa bed in the living room. In addition, a toilet with a bath and a kitchen with dining area.

Although the apartment was nice and newly decorated, it was not the best thing about this place: the apartment is located right next to the smaller tower, Torre de la Plata. From our large, enclosed terrace there was a direct view up to the tower – but noone could see us eating ham and cheese in the morning sun.

Well, but the terrace was neither the best thing about the apartment either: Right in front of the door is the bus stop where the bus to the airport stops. If you are only in Seville on a short visit, the location is nothing short of brilliant. From the bus stop to the airport it’s only just over half an hour.

Read more about the apartment here: Apartamentos Torre de la Plata

Two lovely hotels that are affordable!

In 2023, we went on a road trip in Andalusia. We flew both to and from Seville, and on the outbound journey, we took a couple of extra nights in our absolute favorite city. This time at Hotel Sevilla Center, which is close to the San Bernardo station, which we needed to use to continue our trip. The hotel is part of a chain where we’ve stayed in places like Cordoba and Granada, and there’s always the same great service, a gigantic breakfast buffet, and a large hotel room. At Hotel Sevilla Center, there’s also a pool with a view over the city’s rooftops and about a 15-minute walk to the center.

When it was time to go home, we needed a cheap hotel close to Plaza de Armas, where the airport bus departs from. We only needed to sleep there for one night, so it didn’t have to be luxurious. But, Petit Palace Vargas was indeed on the cheaper side for a hotel right in the center – but it was also really nice! The room itself isn’t that big, but it had everything we needed. Add to that a lovely breakfast buffet with pancakes and thick window panes that kept all the noise out. Petit Palace Vargas will be our go-to hotel in the future when we just need a quick overnight stay in Seville.

Hotel Fernando III – Fit for a king!

In 2024, we were back in Seville during our long-term vacation in Ayamonte. We needed a bit of city atmosphere, and since Seville is only a couple of hours away by car, we booked a few nights at the fabulous Hotel Fernando III. We were in dire need of some pampering, and we certainly got that at this four-star luxury hotel. Everything is done to perfection down to the smallest detail, and it is so beautiful and elegant here.

The breakfast buffet was almost the best part! Even though the hotel is centrally located near some of our favorite tapas bars, we still managed to eat so much that we had to skip lunch. This is a clear recommendation from us! Read more about Hotel Fernando III – click here!

See more great hotels in Seville here on Booking.com!