Sevilla is Andalucia's biggest city. It is about 195km from our gay holiday accommodation but, as it is motorway most of the way, it only takes about 2 hours to drive there.
Sevilla's cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Built in 1507 (and then rebuilt just 4 years later when its dome collapsed!) the cathedral was built on the site of a 12th century mosque.
The Organ:
The High Altar:
'Treasure':
The tower/minaret for the original mosque still stands next to the cathedral, and can be accessed from within the cathedral. It is worth climbing the tower to see the views of the city and the dome of the cathedral.
The tomb of Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón) is in the cathedral, although it's not 100% clear whether they really are his bones which are entombed here after being brought back from Cuba in 1899!
Nearby is the Alcázar (fortress), although the beautiful buildings dating from 913 AD are better described as palaces rather than forts. One of the buildings, the Palacio de Don Pedro, was built in 1364 by the same artisans as Granada's Alhambra Palace. Parts of the fort are still used by Spain's current monarchs, and guided tours are available for these sumptious rooms.
Sevilla's bullring is one of the most important (and spectacular) in Spain as it was here, and at Ronda, that bullfighting on foot first took place in the 18th century. The Plaza de España was built for the 1929 Expo and has wonderful blue and white ceramic tiles everywhere. It is next to some wonderful parks, which are also well worth a visit!
There's a host of other grand churches, museums, quaint winding streets, elegant plazas and wonderful parks to see, so the city is definitely worth a visit. If you visit the city over the Easter week, the Easter parades in Sevilla are famous throughout Spain. And in the 2nd half of April, one of Spain's biggest fairs is held in the city.