The best things to do in Seville

Discover the best and most important things to do in Seville and don’t miss anything during your trip to this city!

1. Plaza de España

This is the first thing you have to discover when you are in Seville. Plaza de España is a square located in the Parque de María Luisa, the construction of this place was one of the biggest building projects in 1929, built for the Ibero-American Exposition. It’s a semi-circular square with a palace, a canal, fountains… The palace contains some of the administrative buildings of Seville, but also a gallery. The square showcases a mix of Mudéjar and Renaissance styles.

2. Real Alcázar

The Real Alcázar is a Royal Palace of built in the 14th century, being the oldest palace of Europe that is still being used – the King and Queen stay in this palace when they visit Seville. The palace is also built in the Mudéjar style, influenced by the Arab architecture. In the middle of the palace we’ll find an elongated pond surrounded by gardens. Some of the parts are built in a Renaissance style which makes it a very unique place to visit. To enter the palace you have to pay a ticket of 14 euros.

3. Cathedral of Seville

The Cathedral of Seville is another cultural sight you cannot miss while visiting Seville. It is the main church of the archdiocese of Seville, built in the Gothic style, which is also called “Catedral de Santa María de la Sede” in Spanish. It is a very important place to visit since it’s the largest church building in Europe after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and St Paul’s Cathedral in London. In 1987 it was registered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

4. La Giralda

The cathedral of Seville features a large bell tower called “La Giralda”, with a height of almost 100 meters. The tower was built by the Moors in the 12th century and later the Christians added the minaret in the bell tower. The Giralda is a perfect symbol of different architectural styles, of different civilizations – also declared a World Heritage Site.

5. The Triana district

The local people say that if you visit the Triana district, you will be able to really discover the culture of Seville – certainly one of the best things to do in Seville! It is located across the Guadalquivir river. In the 16th and 17th century this was the district where the artisans sold their crafts to the Spanish colonies. This is still visible when you walk through its streets; you’ll find the azulejo-tiles everywhere. The streets are colorful and all the houses have flowerpots on its facades.

6. Metropol Parasol

You must recognize this huge and mysterious building. It is the largest wooden structure in the world! Since 2011 it has been open for the public, you can buy a ticket and walk over the parasol and contemplate the city from a height of 28 meters. It is located in the heart of the city, on Plaza de Encarnación.

7. Casa de Pilatos

Besides the Royal Palace, another impressive building you should discover is the Casa de Pilatos, of an Italian Renaissance style and Mudéjar style. It is a fabulous example of Sevillian architecture of the 16th century, located on the Plaza de Pilatos, which will be definitely worth the visit. All walls are decorated with colorful tiles and the building is full of surprises. Let’s discover them yourself.

8. Parque de María Luisa

The last thing on our list with best things to do is visiting the María Luisa Park. It is located next to the famous Plaza de España. It is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city during your getaway in Seville. In the park you can relax and enjoy the sun, take a walk or ride a bicycle. The park also has some notable buildings and museums to discover.

Besides these 8 things to do in Seville, the city has many traditions and festivities that take place around the year, such as the Feria de Abril or Semana Santa. Take advantage of these traditions and visit Seville when they are celebrated.

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History of Feria de Abril Seville

The first edition of Feria de Abril Seville was in 1847. It was organised by two councillors, José María Ybarra and Narciso Bonaplata. It was originally organised as a livestock fair, but this grew out to be one of the biggest events in Seville, with a lot of commercial interests. The fair reached it’s peak during the 1920’s and turned out to become the spectacle that it’s today.

What is going on during Feria de Abril Seville?

Feria de Abril Seville has been taking place on ‘real de la feria’ since 1973 and it’s spread over a surface of 450.000 m2, which is filled by more than a thousand stands. The fair starts at 00.00 (14th of april) with the ‘test of the light’.

There are several ‘casetas’ on the terrain, these are decorated tents of local families, groups of friends, companies, clubs or political parties. Be aware! You need an invitation if you want to enter a caseta. There are a few casetas that are public and you can enter them for free. They’ll play music and serve food and drinks day and night.

The Sevillanos (natives of Seville) are wearing typical Andalusian Costumes during Feria de Abril Seville, women wear flamenco or gypsy clothes and the men traditional clothing. The fun-fair is filled with hundreds of carriages, where you can buy a ride. There will be a bull-fight every afternoon and the week will end with a spectaculair firework-show. Feria de Abril Seville is definitely a party you want experience, so start planning your trip! Interested in the map of the fair? Click here.

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Semana Santa Schedule 2018 Seville in English and Dutch

Almost none of the Semana Santa Schedule 2018 Seville are available in languages besides Spanish. We understand that it might be not easy for you to understand the schedules in Spanish, and translating costs lots of time. Therefore, we translated the schedules for you and created an English and Dutch version. Pay attention: this is not the story about Santa Semana! The schedule is divided per day and brotherhood. The days that are included in the schedule are: Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Holy Friday, Holy Saturday and Resurrection Sunday. Each day there are 7 until 8 different brotherhoods. This means that there will be 7 until 8 different routes to walk each day. Some of them start at the morning, some in the noon and some at the afternoon.

The Schedule of Semana Santa 2018 Seville

In the schedule of Semana Santa 2018 Seville below you find all the important precessions. Click or tap on the image to see the whole schedule.

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Where to go when sightseeing in Seville?

Seville is a beautiful city with a lot of places of interest. We made a list of the best places to go while sightseeing in Seville so you won’t miss anything.

Plaza de España

Characteristic for Seville is Plaza de España. This beautiful, impressive square is about 50.000m2. You will recognize the pillars and bridges with ceramic details.

In the middle of the square there is a huge fountain and you can rent a rowing boat. The square is the decor in movies as Star Wars and The Dictator.

You find Plaza de España in Parque del María Luisa. In this historical park, you can go for a relax walk and enjoy the flora and fauna the park offers.

Real Alcázar

This royal palace is one of the oldest in Europe that is still used. Since 1987 it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is original a Moorish fort and when you walk through the palace and its gardens you will see the long history with a combination of different architecture.

Cathedral and Giralda

The Cathedral of Seville (Catedral de Santa María de la Sede) is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, a mustgo while city sightseeing Seville.

Originally this cathedral was a Mosque and its minnaret, de tower of a Mosque, is still intact. It is now called the ‘Giralda’ and has the function of the bell tower. When you visit the Cathedral you will find aspects of the old Mosque.

You can climb up on the Giralda and enjoy the beautiful view over the city. You walk up through a corridor instead of a stair because they used to go up with horses.

Plaza de toros

Every year, this Baroque arena is still the venue for bullfights during the Feria week of Seville. From all over the country matadors come to fight with the bulls. During a tour, you will learn everything about the history of this arena

Torre del oro

This 12-angular tower is on the side of the river the Canal the Alfonso XIII. The golden tower owes its name because of the golden glow on the river. It was used as an observation post and was part of the city walls. In the tower, you will find the Martime museum.

Sightseeing Seville budget tip!

In Seville, they offer free guided tours. You will go sightseeing in Seville and see all the highlights. This tour is for free but at the end you can give a tip. The guides are very enthusiastic and you learn a lot about the city’s history.

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