It's two in the morning and the streets of Seville are packed! It must be said that in Andalusia, in the very south of Spain, summer lasts until November. Temperatures are the highest in Europe, with an annual average of... 25°! The "movida" is therefore played out under a starry sky, with all the clichés: the barber of Seville, so dear to Beaumarchais, or that gypsy girl named Carmen who rolls cigars on her thighs singing "Love is a gypsy child".  “Frilly” Seville lives up to these clichéd images, spreading its rich monuments mixing Christian culture and Muslim heritage on both sides of the Guadalquivir River.

The Gothic cathedral - one of the largest in the world - never fails to impress, with its tomb of Christopher Columbus and its huge altarpiece adorned with 1500 sculptures. Giralda Tower, a minaret converted into a bell tower, reminds us that this was once home to a mosque. The alchemy is wonderful! The ramp leading to the top (104 metres) may be hard on the legs; but from up there, the view over the roofs of the town is stunning. Alcázar Palace, a masterpiece of Mudejar architecture (a mixture of Gothic and Muslim art) is nearby; an ode to freshness with its richly decorated rooms and fragrant gardens. The Plaza de España is further away, the same square that served as the backdrop for George Lucas' Star Wars. It is even more beautiful at sunset, when its brick and ceramic pavilions inherited from the 1929 Hispano-American Exhibition are ablaze. To get there, try taking a horse-drawn carriage, you can’t get more romantic!

But Seville is first and foremost a city to be live to the full! The district of Santa Cruz, a maze of whitewashed cobbled streets, is where you’ll find the warmest atmosphere. At midday, you can wander around almost alone in the world. From squares fragrant with jasmine to patios illuminated by orange trees, from white, shuttered houses to secret Moorish palaces, the pace is nonchalant. At night, it's a different matter! In a matter of minutes, dozens of tapas bars set up their rickety tables in the streets; and the neighborhood lights up. The experience is even better when accompanied by a tasting of wine, doughnuts and ham... 

These traditions do not stop the Andalusian capital from looking to the future. It took a first leap forward by organizing the Universal Exhibition in 1992. Recently, other daring architecture has enhanced its attractiveness, such as the Metropol Parasol, a huge wooden structure that crowns the Plaza de la Encarnacion, like a giant mushroom whose summit houses a terrace with a unique viewpoint. 
On the other side of the Guadalquivir River, Triana has little to envy Santa Cruz. Once the district of bullfighters and flamenco schools, home of sailors and potters, it has preserved its factories, small shops and modest houses for a delightful stroll out of time. But the colourful facades of the shops selling azulejos (glazed tiles) now rub shoulders with the music bars on Calle Betis, the street that runs along the river. From there, the sounds of world music intertwine, almost as a reminder of the intermix of the city. The hot Seville nights are more than just a legend!

Sites and monuments

• The Gothic cathedral, 130 m long and surmounted by the Giralda, a former minaret decorated with rich arabesques transformed into a campanile. 
• The Alcázar, a maze of palaces and patios combining Gothic, Baroque and Moorish styles, as if from a tale of a thousand and one nights.
• Church of the Divine Salvador, which houses about fifteen richly-decorated baroque altarpieces.
• The Plaza de España, with its brick and glazed tile pavilions inherited from the 1929 Hispano-American Exhibition.
• La Casa de Pilatos, an elegant palace that bears witness to Mudejar art (a mixture of Gothic and Muslim art).
• Metropol Parasol, a 28 m high wooden structure over the Plaza de la Encarnacion.
• The Alfonso XIII, a sublime Mudejar-inspired hotel, ideal for enjoying a cup of tea or coffee.
• The bullring (Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza) with whitewashed walls and ochre-coloured frames, which houses a bullfighting museum.

Parks and gardens

• The Alcázar gardens - romantic with their fountains rising among the palm trees. They can also be viewed from the arcaded gallery overlooking them.
• Maria Luisa Park - bordering the Plaza de España, is a lush oasis of palms, orange trees and magnolias surrounding pavilions inherited from the 1929 exhibition. 

Museums

• The Museum of Fine Arts housed in a former seventeenth century convent, to admire the masterpieces of El Greco, Velasquez, Murillo...
• The Flamenco Museum, all you need to know about this artistic expression classified as an intangible heritage of UNESCO.
• Andalusian Centre for Contemporary Art, which exhibits modern works in a beautifully restored old monastery. 

• February/March - jazz festival at the Maestranza Theatre
• 28 February - Andalusia Day, to commemorate the celebration of the referendum on the initiative of the autonomy process in 1980.
• March/April - Holy Week (5-12 April in 2020), with processions of the religious brotherhoods
• April/May - Spring Feria (from April 26th to May 2nd in 2020), with entertainment in the streets and "casetas" (stands), concerts, bullfights...
• June - music festival in the Alcázar gardens
• July - Vigil of Santa Ana (La Vela) to celebrate the patron saint of the Triana district, with shows and concerts along the Guadalquivir River.
• September/October - flamenco biennial (every even year), with shows, initiations... (from September 4th to October 4th in 2020)  
• 12 October - National Day of Spain, commemorating the discovery of America
• 6 December - Constitution Day, established since 1978
• 13 December - Santa Lucia parade, with street processions

• To live to the rhythm of flamenco, visit the Lina boutique workshops frequented by celebrities, before heading to the flamenco museum, where you can learn a few steps. Finish with an authentic show, for example at La Carboneria. Olé! 

• When the sun beats down, head to Isla Magica amusement park, on part of the former site of the 1992 Universal Exhibition. Splashes guaranteed on the slides and wave pools of Agua Magica, its aquatic annex.  

• Just 100 kilometres from Seville, Ronda is one of the oldest cities in Spain. Surrounded by the mountains of the Serrania de Ronda, it stands like a look-out on a cliff that falls steeply into the Guadalevin river. It is the birthplace of bullfighting and home to the famous bullring.

Starters

• Tapas - finger food invented in Andalusia (hams, meat, anchovies, cheese...), to be shared with friends. 
• Hams - Serrano from white pigs and Iberico ham, produced from black pigs fed on acorns.
• Gazpacho - the famous chilled vegetable soup (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers...), an Andalusian speciality.

Dishes

• Migas - a popular dish that mixes breadcrumbs and garlic
• Berenjenas fritas - fried aubergines with honey topping
• Paella - the Spanish dish par excellence, combining  rice coloured with saffron, chicken, pork, crayfish... 
• Tortilla - a kind of omelette made from eggs and potatoes, sometimes with onions.
• Kidneys with Sherry - roast kidneys with flavours sweetened by the wine
• Bull tail - served as a stew in sauce

Desserts

• Tocino del cielo - a caramel cream from Jerez, another Andalusian city
• Turron - a nougat-like confectionery made from egg white, honey, sugar and almonds.

Drinks 

• La cerveza* (beer) - you can enjoy it very cold or as a blend (with lemonade). 
• Sherry* - white wine from the Jerez region (100 km from Seville) - the "finos" are dry and light, the "olorosos" have more body and go well with meat. They be up to 15°, sometimes 22°! 
• Manzanilla* - a dry white wine served as an aperitif or to accompany tapas.
• Horchata - a non-alcoholic drink with a milky appearance produced from yellow tiger nuts, a kind of local papyrus.

* l'abus d'alcool est dangereux pour la santé, à consommer avec modération

• Spain Tourist Office
• Seville Tourist Office
• Seville Airport (SVQ)
• French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• French Ambassy in Spain
• Ambassy of Spain in France
• General Consulate of France in Spain