Sevilla

For many reasons, Sevilla and its province are more than just another tourist destination. In this corner of Spain-traditions and history are combined with festivals all year round. They all give visitors the chance to join in fun and enjoy the hospitality of all people in the region.Open, cultural, emotional, this is Sevilla.

Located very close to the Alcazar, the Cathedral in Sevilla is one of the third largest cathedral in the world. The holy cathedral was built over a mosque and the Patio de las Naranjas is from its Muslim past.

The interior and the façade are outstanding. In the cathedral is also the tomb of Christopher Columbus and 18-meter-high Main Altarpiece.

This is a truly impressive place and well worth to visit.

A Gothic masterpiece, representing a nice interplay of Moorish and Gothic architecture.

The fascinating 93 meter high Giralda Tower is built in a Moorish style and includes on the top Renaissance elements representing the Christian power. Each one of the 25 bells has its own name.

The imposing bell tower with a statue of a woman wearing a classical Roman dress, holding a shield in one hand and a palm leaf in the other. The statue is known as a giraldillo.

After visiting the cathedral I enjoyed a delicious lunch with a glass of white wine and continued my tour.

Close to the cathedral is also located the fascinating Jewish Barrio Santa Cruz, my favorite part of the town. Here every building is different and well worth seeing. This is one truly beautiful, interesting, full of life area, representing the soul of Sevilla.

The maze of narrow twisting cobble streets is simply amazing. Here you can get lost and then suddenly find small plaza, hidden garden, church, a monument or tapas bar.

The amazing atmosphere is indescribable.

There are so many things to explore here.

Luckily our hotel was in this unique area so I also enjoyed it during night.

This is just a fantastic place to stroll around aimlessly.

This area represent the warm charm of Southern Spain, fulfilled with the smell of oranges and flamenco. The passionate history of flamenco music began in 1447 with the entrance of Gypsies in Spain.

Dazzling around I reach the river Guadalquivir and The Golden Tower built in 13^th century was during the Muslim period covered with gold which reflected the sun and could be seen shining kilometers away.

The bullring Maestranza of Sevilla, is one of the most beautiful, oldest and most significant in the history of bullfighting.

The beauty of its proportions and its perfect structure are what might have been expected of the spirit it was born.

Metropol Parasol is the biggest wooden structure in the world, situated at the Encarnacion Square. It contains food market, shops a podium for concerts and the roof is a viewing gallery and a walkway. In the basement is the museum Antiquarium with archaeological ruins dating from the Roman period.

The night walk brings me to the modern area of the city with futuristic constructions.

Sevilla is a truly impressive and completely different than all places I have visited in Spain. Its atmosphere is indescribable, a place for meditation and mysticism by an explosion of color and joy.

The Alcazar in Sevilla, Extraordinary Moorish Palace

The cultural variety in Spain can be experienced in every region. Architecture, art and culinary are typical signs of Andalucia, the region, just like every place in Spain, represents a unique fusion of traditions and innovations.

Because of the appeal of its province and the wide range of tourist activities, Sevilla is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain. One of the first richest and powerful cities in Spain offers till now many hidden treasures-outstanding cultural places, passionate Flamenco and delicious cuisine.

Sevilla's city center is a vivid reflection of its entire history.

The Alcazar in Sevilla is one very pleasant discovery, representing a complex of endless rooms in Moorish style surrounded by a gorgeous garden, a nice place to rest or to discover its surprises at each corner.

Built by Moors and expanded during several centuries by monarchs from different dynasties, the Alcazar for a thousand years has been the center of power and a royal residence.

Once arrived in Sevilla we cannot miss to visit this beautiful, beautiful place.

Magical view towards the yard called Patio de las Doncellas, surrounded by lobe shaped arches. According to the Arab tradition this courtyard held public events and ceremonies.

Amazing palace, we love every minute spent here.

Here we find more of everything- mosaics, arches, patios, gardens.  

Place full of wonders, representing combination of architecture elements from different time periods.

Spectacular palace but especially impressive are the gardens and the peacocks roaming proudly around in the gardens.

It is especially wonderful to enjoy these marvelous gardens and see the orange trees with big oranges and all kinds of trees and flowers. 

The gardens are bigger than expected and bring us back in time.

Phantastic combination of water, splashing fountains, colors, flowers and tranquility.

Extraordinary, romantic and beautiful.

Spectacular views.

We easily spent a whole day in this unique palace. 

Arabic baths

It is very hard to compare this Moorish Palace after having visited Alhambra in Granada. But The Alcazar in Sevilla is also very impressive and we will carry life long the memories of the day spent in this paradise.

The Spectacular Plaza de España in Sevilla

Plaza de España in Sevilla is one of the most fascinating landmarks of the city. 

On Avenida de Isabel la Catolica, I step inside Parque de Maria Luisa, one of the finest in Spain, donated to the city of Sevilla by Infanta Maria Luisa Fernanda de Orleans. Here the visitor will find it hard to resist the temptation of luxuriant vegetation.

Located in Parque de María Luisa, this marvelous piece of architecture was built in 1929 to commemorate the Ibero-American Exposition World's Fair and represent a complex of huge half-circle buildings.

This spectacular park includes fountains, walls, ponds, benches, orange and palm trees, Mediterranean pines, and stylized flower beds.

This park has a unique and very romantic atmosphere additionally fulfilled by numerous street musicians.

Here visitors are amazed by the huge tiled panels dedicated to the provinces in Spain.

The ceramic benches show the Spanish provinces with their capitals and illustrate a specific event in the history of each of these provinces.

Very beautiful architecture for photography and romantic strolls.

There are so many small details to see in this truly spectacular place.

Simply inspirational bridges with superb decorations in combination with water channels.

It is delightful to take a walk or a boat ride along the broad semicircle.

Stunning views and a beautiful place to just sit and enjoy the surroundings.

Fabulous atmosphere revealing the awesome site of the square.

This memorable place has to be seen to be believed.




We spend a couple of hours walking in this simply inspirational and highly recommendable square and enjoy every corner of it. Lovely place to spend the afternoon.

Alcázar de los Reyes Catilicos in Cordoba

Located in the center of Cordoba the medieval Alcázar, also known as Alcázar de los Reyes Catilicos is next to the Guadalquivir River and the Grand Mosque. This is one of the greatest sites to visit in Cordoba.

During the time of Umayyad Dynasty, the Alcázar was expanded and included baths and gardens. Nowadays the interior is not that interesting. 

The small castle reveals several layers of history but the most prominent highlights are the Roman mosaics displayed in the halls.

 

We climbed to the tower and enjoyed the gorgeous panoramic views towards the city and the river.

When we entered the splendid spacious gardens we got impressed by their dimensions and the combination of flowers, floating water, ponds, fountains, beautiful cypress trees and orange trees.

 Orange trees everywhere.

Lovely garden oasis.

  

So so beautiful… flowers bathed with bright sunshine. No enough photographs can captured the atmosphere.

Stunning views towards the truly nice gardens and pods.

We simply strolled around and enjoyed the tranquility of this fascinating place. This was a real "heaven on Earth" experience.

The Alcazar is a highly recommended monument to visit in Cordoba, a real jewel during our pleasure stay in this unforgettable city.