Seville

A working royal palace of Moorish courtyards, carved plasterwork and sunken gardens — the most beautiful building in Spain, and a Game of Thrones set to boot. Book the first slot online.

The largest Gothic church on earth, with Columbus's tomb inside and the Giralda — a Moorish minaret turned bell tower — to climb by ramp for the view over the rooftops.

A vast half-moon of tiled pavilions and bridges around a canal you can row — built for a 1929 fair and now the city's grandest set-piece. Go early or at golden hour.

Getting lost on purpose in the old quarter's whitewashed lanes — orange trees, hidden plazas, and the odd flamenco guitar drifting out of a doorway. The whole point of Seville.

The giant timber 'mushrooms' of the Metropol Parasol — a wave of latticed wood over the old town, with a walkway on top for the best sunset view in the city.

This is where flamenco lives — a small room, no microphones, heels like gunfire and a singer who means it. Skip the big dinner-shows; find an intimate tablao and book the late set.

Seville invented tapas and still does it best — one plate and one drink per bar, then move. Stand at the counter, order the spinach and chickpeas and the jamón, and don't overthink it.

Spain's most beautiful and oldest bullring, in baroque yellow and white by the river — the guided tour of the ring, museum and chapel is worth it whatever you think of the sport.

The 13th-century Moorish watchtower on the Guadalquivir, once chained across the water to guard the port. Small maritime museum inside; the real draw is the riverside walk around it.

The city's shaded gardens — tiled benches, fountains, palms and parrots, wrapped around Plaza de España. The place to escape the afternoon heat, ideally on a rented bike.

Over the Isabel II bridge to the old potters' quarter — tiled facades, ceramic workshops, and a sunset drink along Calle Betis with the whole city glowing across the water.

Triana's food market on the ruins of a castle — stalls of jamón, cheese and olives, and little counters where you can stand and eat it all. Go mid-morning, order a beer.

A 16th-century palace that mixes Mudéjar tiles, Gothic and Renaissance around a courtyard most people miss — quieter and, some say, prettier than the Alcázar.

The archive of the Spanish empire — Columbus's own logbooks and the paperwork of a New World, in a serene Renaissance building beside the cathedral. Free, cool and quiet.

The city's most local night out — a long, buzzing square of terraces and bars under two Roman columns, where Seville eats late and stays out later. No dress code, no rush.

The Roman city just outside town — a huge amphitheatre and floor mosaics you can walk right across, filmed for Game of Thrones. Half an hour out, half the crowds.

Stand mid-span as the sun drops behind Triana — the river gone gold, the tiled facades lighting up. The prettiest free ten minutes in Seville.

The Duchess of Alba's own palace, thrown open — flowered courtyards, Roman busts and centuries of family clutter. Quieter and more personal than the Alcázar.

A baroque hidden gem — a jewel-box chapel of Murillo canvases behind a tiled courtyard, still a working almshouse. Ten minutes and you'll have it to yourself.

Home of the weeping Virgin who leads Seville's Holy Week — dripping gold and glass tears, adored by the whole city. Come to feel what the processions are about.