I am an absolute fan of Spanish cities. Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia… they all have that certain laid back summery feel about them which I simply adore. Although I have to admit, Barcelona still remains my old-time favourite, Seville comes a good second. After visiting this gorgeous city twice before, it was time earlier this week to head back for a short two night trip with the misses.
Despite the colder weather… the summer feeling was still there. You can easily discover Seville in two days as almost all the sights are within easy walking distance. In the past we combined a visit to Seville with a trip to other cities in beautiful Andalucia. Ryanair offers cheap and direct flights to Seville from Brussels Charleroi Airport (not my favourite airport in the world though…).

 

 

Seville’s old quarter (Santa Cruz) is my favourite part of town. It can be a bit too touristy at times, but still, every alleyway is so charming it just screams at me “Roeckie, please take a picture!”.

If you head down to Seville, you of course must visit the impressive cathedral (the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world) and the really stunning World Heritage site the Royal Alcazar. The palace offers some jaw-dropping interiors and lovely, relaxing gardens. Check out opening times to avoid long queues.

Also, make sure to make your way down to the colourful Plaza de España. The many tiled alcoves, each representing a different province of Spain are just stunning. The adjacent Maria Louisa Park offers a shady retreat in summer. We had a nice glass of tinto de verano (with some more tapas, yes…) at Bar Citroen at the entrance of the park.

 

 

The impressive Metropol Parasol, designed by Jürgen Mayer and completed in 2011 makes a stunning addition to the city. It consists out of six parasols shaped like giant mushrooms.

 

On the top level you have amazing views over the city and a free drink is included in your ticket! Fun to do both during the daytime or at night, your kids will love it too!


 

 

I was happy to see that Seville’s eating and coffee culture has really made a lot of progress the past years. I am happy to share some of our favourites with you!
Great places for food (modern style tapas):

 

El Pinton : nice interior, great food, lovely ambiance

Ovejas negras : our absolute favourite! Amazing food and an amazing bartender (Adolpho!).

Mercado Lonja del Barancco : great spot to hang out and enjoy some nice tapas or beer, near the river

Great places for coffee:

Torch Coffee Roasters : in love with this place!

Red House Art and Food : alternative hotspot with great cakes!

Hotel Alfonso XIII : we had coffee in the impressive courtyard, very oldschool
Good hotels we stayed at, both in the very heart of the old town:

Fonte Cruz : with rooftop pool!

To get good flights, I almost always use Connections, because I really appreciate the easiness of the system.

Seville is very relaxing and perfect for a short get-a-way!