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Seville is the location of the largest Gothic cathedral in Christendom, the massively impressive Catedral de Sevilla. Completed in 1528 on the site of a former mosque, the building is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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The cathedral's bell tower, Giralda, is one of the city's defining landmarks. It was originally built as the minaret for the Great Mosque of Seville in al-Andalus, Moorish Spain, during the reign of the Almohad dynasty. The Renaissance style top was added in 1248 during the Reconquista, after Seville was recovered by Christian forces.

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Wander at leisure through this majestic place of worship and admire a host of treasures, including the 16th-century Sacristía Mayor, the astonishing masterpiece of Gothic woodcarving that is the Capilla Mayor, and the domed Renaissance chapel known as the Capilla Real.

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Seville's cathedral may or may not be the final resting place of Christopher Columbus (1451–1506). A monument found just inside the door features a tomb held aloft by four allegorical figures and said to contain the famed explorer's remains. Many historians disagree, however, arguing that after his death in 1506, Columbus' body traveled widely and was interned in several different locations, with no one really sure exactly where his remains ended up.

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The wonderfully named Patio de los Naranjos ("Patio of Orange Trees"), which is laid out in what was once the forecourt of the mosque, exudes a tangy citrus aroma mid-summer, when the fruit is at its ripest. The best view of this fragrant urban orchard is from La Giralda.

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Another one of Seville's UNESCO gems, Real Alcázar first served as the medieval residential fortress of various Moorish rulers and, later, Christian kings. Admire the palace's elegant courtyard before exploring the interior.

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Visitors to Real Alcázar will be wooed by the enchanting Sala de los Embajadores ("Hall of the Ambassadors"), the palace's ancient throne room, and one of its most decorative.

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The hall's highlight is the spectacular domed ceiling enriched with decorative friezes and inscriptions in cursive Arabic script.

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More austere in design but no less dramatic is the Baños de Doña María de Padilla ("Baths of Dona Maria Padilla"). Located below the palace's Patio del Crucero, this vaulted bathing complex was refurbished on the orders of King Alfonso X and was later frequently used by María de Padilla, mistress of King Pedro.

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Built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, Seville's "Spanish Square" is set within the Parque de María Luisa. This enormous structure melds Baroque Revival, Renaissance Revival, and Moorish Revival elements of Spanish architecture and features numerous tiled alcoves around the plaza, each representing a different province of Spain.

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The plaza has been called the "Venice of Spain" for the canal that cuts a smile around the square and is crossed by four decorative foot bridges. Visitors can hire rowboats and ply the watercourse at leisure. The park meanwhile can be explored in similar romantic fashion by horse-drawn carriage.

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One of the great pleasures of discovering Seville is to get lost on purpose in the medieval neighborhood of Barrio Santa Cruz. The city's former Jewish quarter, Barrio Santa Cruz is a labyrinth of cobblestone lanes and alleys lined with boutiques, cafés, restaurants, bars, and charming whitewashed cottages and townhouses.

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Seville's choice of tranquil green spaces includes the delightful Jardines de Murillo, which is embroidered with lofty palms and giant fig trees. The park is named for the Seville artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617–1682). His work is held in museums around the world.

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And speaking of art museums, don't miss the Museo de Bellas Artes. It's housed in the historic 17th-century Convento de la Merced, and the collections are regarded as the best in Spain after the Prado in Madrid. Works displayed here include those by El Greco, Velázquez, de Zurbarán, and the aforementioned Murillo.

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After the cathedral, the Iglesia Colegial del Salvador is the most important church in Seville. Built on a site where a basilica stood in Roman times and a mosque during the Moorish period, the sanctuary is distinguished for an extravagant gilded interior and two dazzling altarpieces: 'Sacred Christ of Love' by Juan de Mesa, and 'Jesus of the Passion' by Juan Martínez Montañez.

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One of Seville's most loved traditions takes place during Semana Santa ("Holy Week"). For seven days, the city blends solemnity with frivolity as a series of processions led by hooded penitents accompany impressive floats, which display ornately decorated wooden figures of saints, some of them of great antiquity. A centuries-old Easter tradition, Semana Santa is one of the most impressive festivals of its kind held in Spain.

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A visit to Seville will no doubt include enjoying an evening of flamenco song and dance, for which the city is famous. For a better idea of the traditions behind this most iconic and flamboyant art form, the roots of which lie in the Gypsy culture, spend time browsing the fascinating and engaging Museo del Baile Flamenco ("Museum of Flamenco Dance").

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One of Seville's showcase events, the International Flamenco Fashion Show affords fans of flamenco an opportunity to see collections of traditional outfits and costumes stylishly reinvented by the world's top flamenco fashion designers. The prestigious event takes place annually from the end of January and into the first week of February.

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Seville's main shopping street, Calle de las Sierpas, is also one of its most attractive, lined as it is with traditional stores and boutiques selling authentic wares such as colorful flamenco fans and shawls, known as mantoncillos or picos.

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For delicious Andalusian sweet treats, step into Confiteria la Campana, a famous artisanal pastry salon on Calle de las Sierpes that's been selling homemade confections such as cakes, cookies, pastries, and candied figs, oranges, and pears since 1885.

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Historic Seville extends across the Guadalquivir River to Bairro de Triana, a traditional neighborhood of cobblestone lanes, leafy squares, and brightly colored facades. This is an area definitely worth investigating for the family-run ceramic workshops where beautiful handcrafted azulejos ("glazed tiles") are manufactured in all sorts of colorful and geometric patterns. Reflecting Andalusia's cherished Moorish aesthetic, the tiles make ideal souvenirs.

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The enlightened combination of Italian Renaissance architecture with Mudéjar (Muslim late medieval) elements and decorations makes the Casa de Pilatos a prototype of the Andalusian palace. Dating from the 16th century and a designated National Monument, the building's name translates as Pilate's House, with some believing that it's a copy of Pontius Pilate's house in Jerusalem. Indeed, a collection of ancient Roman sculptures is displayed throughout the house, and the residence is certainly worth a closer look.

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The Archaeological Museum of Seville displays a modest but wholly engaging collection of rare and ancient artifacts spanning the early Paleolithic period through to the Phoenician, Greek, and Roman periods. Also included are Moorish and Mudéjar antiquities from the Middle Ages. Pictured is a 12th-century qdir or bronze globular pot with geometrical decoration.

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Some of the items on display at the archaeological museum were unearthed at the Itálica Archaeological Site, the ruins of a Roman city found 7 km (4 mi) from Seville. Making the effort to get here helps put the city's Roman heritage into greater perspective.

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Easily overlooked but demanding some attention, at least for admirers of architecture, Seville's Town Hall is blessed with an eye-catching south facade of intricately carved reliefs depicting historical stories and mythology. Seville was founded as the Roman city of Hispalis, but its mythical figurehead is Hercules, who is also represented among the emblems enriching the building's southern elevation.

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For a glimpse of how the other half lived in the 16th century, spend some time absorbing the rich interior of the Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija. This exquisitely decorated mansion brims with rare antiques and numerous archaeological treasures of incalculable value.

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Closed to the public for many years, the Royal Shipyards of Seville stand outside the city walls close to the Guadalquivir River. Operational between the 13th and 15th centuries, the medieval facility enjoyed recent worldwide popularity after it appeared in episode two of season seven of 'Game of Thrones.'

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The striking Metropol Parasol is one of the largest wooden structures ever built, an engineering marvel that features six large timber parasols shading the Plaza de la Encarnación and protecting a Roman and Moorish archaeological site.

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Tapas, Spain's delicious bit-sized snacks, are ubiquitous in Seville. In Andalusia in fact, a tapa is often served free with a drink. Tradition says that wine was once presented with a slice of ham placed over the top of the glass to protect it from dust, sand, or insects. The word tapa translates more or less "top" or "cover."

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End your sightseeing by relaxing in the famous El Rinconcillo, a tapas bar that opened in 1670 and remains one of the oldest bars in Seville.

Sources: (ThoughtCo) (Real Alcázar) (Arup)

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Seville, Andalusia's captivating and beguiling capital city, charms visitors with a collection of historic eye-openers, including a colossal cathedral and a collection of charming Mudéjar palaces and venerated Baroque churches. Keeping time with this intoxicating blend of Moorish and Christian showstoppers is a vibrant flamenco tempo and culinary tradition that together create a magical ambiance unique to southern Spain.

Click through and enjoy a saunter through Seville.