WHAT TO DO IN SEVILLE – 6 ESSENTIAL THINGS NOT TO BE MISSED
Seville, a medieval city that is still steeped in history, is the capital city of the Andalusian region in southern Spain. With its many churches and rich culture, the city attracts visitors from around the world. So, if you’re thinking about visiting Spain, Seville should be one of your first destinations. Not sure of what to do in Seville? Read on to find out.
Spain is a no-brainer holiday destination for any person who loves classic architecture, beautiful cities, and even better food. However, no locale will offer you more to admire than Seville.
What to do in Seville
Just before packing your bags and heading to Seville, you should know what you are in for. If you don’t know what to do in Seville, here are a few suggestions to get you started.
Try out a Seville Food Tour
The Spanish love their cuisine just as much as the Italians do. For the most complete experience in Seville, sample the local cuisine to get you started.
The is an immersive treat that lets you experience the best that the charming city has to offer in terms of food. During each Seville food tour, visitors get the chance to mingle with the local crowd over spicy, traditional, homemade Spanish dishes. A night out in the city with a Seville food tour is like a meeting of friends and family over the holidays. It is fun, vibrant, tasty, and most of all, comes with a camaraderie that you will not find elsewhere.
Do the rounds in the local market
Thrift shopping anyone? No? What about rounds of good-hearted bargaining on intimately crowded streets? When in Seville, do what the sevillanos do, and that includes engaging in the local haggling practiced all throughout this charming Spanish town.
In Seville, you can find anything from the meat and fish that just came in from the farms and ports to handmade crafts and art pieces. Making rounds in the local market should make it on your what-to-do-in-Seville list for a variety of reasons. One, it’s the only way you can get souvenirs for everyone back home without opening your wallet too widely. Secondly, what’s not to love about making good old hard bargains on sweets and crafts in the middle of grand Spanish streets?
See also: 7 Absolutely Amazing Tapas that You Have to Try in Seville
Explore the Local Religion
Religion is a big part of daily life in Spain. Every part of the city you tour will have something alluding to the region’s deep roots in faith and religion. Therefore, any decent holiday checklist in Seville list should involve a quick trip to the local churches, convents, and monasteries, most notably the Cathedral of Seville.
While not all convents and holy sites will be open to the public for religious reasons, you can immerse yourself in the culture of the Andalusian people by touring those that are. Sign up for a group or individual tour with the nuns in Seville, and you will receive homemade treats at the end of it. Alternatively, familiarize yourself with the legends and folklore of Seville, the stories of the gods and that of Macaria, daughter of Hercules. Then take a tour through the streets named for her, La Macarena.
Exploring the local religion of Seville will help you understand the people better, as the Catholic religion plays a huge part in daily life, seasonal activities, and many holidays.
Cruise the Plaza de España and Santa Cruz neighborhoods
Why not visit the most famous neighborhoods in Seville while making your way around the city?
Santa Cruz, home to the world’s largest cathedral and numerous medieval churches, is an architectural marvel. The former center of Jewish life in Seville in earlier centuries, this neighborhood is steeped in enough Andalusian culture to make for an interesting stroll destination on any day. Get lost in the labyrinth of small winding streets, hear the clang of church bells, and marvel and the truly unique architecture.
Scout the Local Architecture
Seville is home to some of the world’s best-preserved architecture from the Renaissance period, and that’s why looking up the at the buildings in the region should be something that you must make time to do.
Perhaps the most famous example of architecture in Seville is the Real Alcázar, also known as the Alcázar of Seville. This piece of Mudejar architecture is not only the oldest palace in Europe but also the current home of the Spanish royal family. And if that doesn’t feed into the attractiveness of the grand estate, the fact that some consider it the most beautiful building in existence does. For all of you Game of Thrones fans out there, this is featured in many of the scenes that take place in Dorne!
Seville is also home to the sixteenth-century Cathedral of Seville, which merits its own acclaim. The Cathedral, also called the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See, is the largest Gothic church and cathedral, and the third-largest church worldwide after St. Peter’s Basilica and the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida. It’s immense size, intricate carvings, and many treasures inside will leave you in awe. It is also renowned for its place in Spanish history as the home to the tomb of the great explorer and navigator Christopher Columbus. If you’re feeling adventurous, climb up to the top of the bell tower for a 360-degree view of the city that is second to none.
Enjoy the Music
Seville is a city renowned for flamenco, one of the world’s oldest and most acclaimed form of music. Flamenco is a combination of traditional Spanish and modern tunes set in the rhythmic accompaniments of guitars, snapping, clapping and singing. The haunting singing, fast guitar playing, and emotional dancing is an experience that you will never forget and is essential if you are in Seville.
So, there you have it. A list of six activities detailing what to do in