Seville: the good, bad and ugly sides to Spain’s sizzling southern city

The good

Begin at the cathedral. The world’s largest Gothic building was constructed in the 15th century on the site of a great mosque. Originally a minaret from where the muezzin called the faithful to prayer, the Giralda, or bell tower, provides the best vantage point from which to appreciate the immensity of the cathedral and the shimmering Seville skyline. A few paces away, the Alcázar, or fortified royal palace, is the oldest of its kind still in use in Europe. Built by the Arabs during the Moorish invasion of Spain, it dates back to the 8th century. In 2015, the Alcázar gained global exposure after it was used as a location in the television series Game of Thrones.

Formerly the medieval Jewish quarter, the central neighbourhood of Santa Cruz is a postcard pretty Andalusian cliché of whitewashed buildings and narrow, shady streets. Balconies blossom and flamenco guitarists fine-tune their fingerwork in orange-scented plazas. Overlooking the River Guadalquivir, Seville’s Maestranza bullring is one of the oldest and most famous in Spain, and in fiesta season spectators emerge from horse-drawn carriages dressed to the nines.

A short walk away (a phrase the compact city should adopt as its slogan) is the Plaza de España. The extravagant renaissance arcade of brick and marble was built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 and has served as a backdrop in several films, including Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002).

Dinner is taken late in Seville – the Spanish ritual of bar hopping and snacking is approached with great gusto and many of the city’s estimated 4,000 tapas bars are conveniently clustered. The areas of La Macarena, El Arenal and Santa Cruz offer rich pickings for budding tapeadors. In the more atmospheric places, hams hang from the ceiling, sherry casks double as tables and the walls are stained nicotine yellow.