Route: Seville
Area: Spain, Andalusia
Date of walk: 16th March 2019
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 12.4 miles
Ascent: 600 feet
Weather: Sun and blue skies, very warm
Seville is Spain’s fourth largest city, and home to many magnificent old buildings, including the Cathedral and Alcázar Palace both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Seville would be our first base on a short walking holiday organised by Inntravel ‘A Trail of Three Cities’ – the other two being Córdoba and Grenada
We travelled to Seville by train from Malaga and, on arrival in the city, checked into the Hotel Casas de la Juderia, an amazing fusion of 16 houses and two palaces, located in the heart of the old Jewish quarter
We set off on our exploration of the city early in the morning, wandering the ancient streets and delightful squares where the scent of orange blossom was in the air, and heading generally in the direction of the Cathedral. This is the largest church in the world, covering an area of 11,520 square metres. We then visited the adjacent Alcázar, a royal palace dating back to the 11th century, with beautiful formal gardens. The cathedral and the palace were both spectacular. (On a practical note, we’d bought tickets online in advance of our visit and were glad to have done so, as the queues to buy tickets on the day were enormous)
We next made our way to Plaza de España, a huge semi-circle of buildings constructed in 1928 around a moat, accessible by various bridges representing the four ancient kingdoms of Spain
The places described are just the highlights of a long day, during the course of which we covered 12 miles on foot. On the following morning, we had time for a short walk along the banks of the River Guadalquivir, visiting the Triana area, which is home to the ceramics industry in Seville. We then had to make haste to the railway station to catch the train to our next destination – Córdoba (see my next walk)
For anyone visiting Seville for the first time, there’s enough of interest here to occupy at least two full days. There were several sights which we didn’t have time to see – those that we did will live in our memories forever
I’ve not included our route on the Maps Page, as this contained numerous diversions and meanderings, but the map does pinpoint the locations of the main points of interest (with photos), so these can easily be linked into a walk
Click on the icon below for the route map
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
Malaga Station - the efficient high speed Renfe railway system will transport us from city to city on this walking holiday - first stop Seville
View from the rooftop terrace of the Hotel Casas de la Juderia, our base for the next two nights. The illuminated building is the Giralda, the bell tower of Seville Cathedral, which we'll visit tomorrow
The same view early next morning
The Church of San Bartolomé
The hotel is a huge maze of different buildings, with small courtyards and interconnecting streets...
We leave the hotel to start our walk around Seville and pass by Restaurant El 3 de Oro (which I can recommend)
Statue of Don Juan in the Plaza de los Refinadores
Plaza de la Cruz
Quiet streets and alleyways...
The Giralda from the Plaza del Patio de Banderas
Fountains in the Juderia...
We pass by the Alcázar and the Cathedral...
The Giralda again, started in 1184 and extended over the years
Facade of Seville Cathedral - we continue with our walk, as the allocated time on our tickets had not yet arrived
Avenue de la Constitución
Plaza Nueva...
Flamenco dresses in one of the many clothing shops
Church of San Isidoro
We make our way back to the Cathedral...
The Giralda again
Seville Cathedral
Inside the Cathedral - covering an area of 11,250 square metres, it is the largest church in the world...
The Retablo Mayor or main altarpiece, which is 42 metres high and is the lifetime work of a single craftsman, the Flemish artist Pierre Dancart
It is considered to be one of the largest and richest altarpieces in the world
Looking up to the enormous vaulted ceilings...
We climb the Giralda, the bell tower of the Cathedral. There are no stairs, and instead 34 ramps were used to ascend, in order that the muezzin could ride a horse to the top and recite the call to prayer
looking down over the Cathedral and the Patio de los Naranjos (Courtyard of Orange Trees)
Views of Seville from all four corners of the tower...
Back inside the Cathedral...
The tomb of Christopher Columbus
A final look up to the Giralda as we leave the Cathedral area
We arrive at the nearby Royal Alcázar of Seville - a royal palace dating back to the early middle ages, and a World Heritage Site
Glorious decorations on the walls and ceilings...
The gilded wooden ceiling of the Hall of the Ambassadors...
...a closer view
More photos of this wondrous interior...
We then visited the Palace Gardens - this is the Statue of Mercury in the Garden of the Pond
A covered colonnade, which we walk along for a better view over the gardens
Views over the gardens from the colonnade...
The end of an unforgettable visit
There's another sight we wish to see, about 20 minutes' walk from the Alcazar...
...Plaza de España, built in 1928
The plaza comprises a huge half-circle with buildings surrounded by a moat
There are four bridges over the moat, representing the four ancient kingdoms of Spain: Castille, Aragon, Navarre and Leon
The buildings in the Plaza are occupied by government departments
Last visit of the day - the Church of Santa María la Blanca, adjacent to our hotel. It has served three religions - once a mosque, it was made a synagogue on the orders of King Alfonso X in 1252, and was then consecrated as a Christian temple in 1391
Next morning, there was time for a short walk before catching the train to Cordoba - we cross the River Guadalquivir via Puente de Triana
A grey start to the day, but it will brighten up later
We enter the Triana area, the centre of Seville's ceramic trade...
Walking through Triana
We cross back over the river via Puente de San Telmo - this is Torre del Oro, the Golden Tower. It was built in the 13th century to defend the city - a chain would be suspended across the river to another tower (since demolished) which would prevent access by enemy ships
We walk by the Jardines de Cristina...
Wisteria in bloom - in March
We continue through the old Jewish Quarter
We pass by the Cathedral again
Street scenes in Seville...
Our train to Cordoba will be due soon, so we end our walk here and return to the start
Back to our hotel, and the end of a fantastic short stay in Seville
