Seville & Andalusia

Seville

As the capital of Andalusia, Seville is a representative place of many traditional cultures rooted in Andalusia like flamenco, bullfighting, and tapas cuisine. It would be impossible to seize the culture essence of Seville without going tapas, watching flamenco and bullfighting.

Seville has the largest historical center (constructed before Industrial Revolution) in Spain. Walking around the historical center of Seville is like reading a vivid history book: you will go through the narrow alleys in the Santa Cruz neighborhood which was a Jewish quarter until the Spanish Inquisition; you will see the three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Cathedral of Seville, the Alcázar of Seville and the General Archive of the Indies; you will be impressed by countless heritage buildings dating back to different historical eras.

Holy Week of Seville (Semana Santa de Sevilla in Spanish) and April Fair (Feria de Abril in Spanish) which follows two weeks later are two most important festivals in Seville.

The celebrations of Holy Week of Seville are the most glamorous compared with other regions in Spain, famous around the world. During this week, not only local people, pilgrims and tourists from other parts of the world come to Seville to appreciate this magnificent religious event.

April Fair is a festival during which local people dress up traditional clothes, party with their family and friends and dance Sevillanas. The festival lasts one week. During this week, parties don’t end up. You will see women in flamenco dresses everywhere in the city and carriages carrying people dressed up formally to the fairground.

Granada

Granada is the capital of the province of Granada in Andalusia, located at the foot of Sierra Nevada Mountains. Granada was the capital of Kingdom of Granada established by Moors. It is also the last city recovered by Catholic Monarchs from Moors’ hands. Granada means pomegranate in Spanish. A pomegranate flower was added to the Spanish flag in honor of the reconquest of Granada.

Granada was ruled by Moors for almost 800 years. Alhambra was Moorish Kings’ palace. Its construction started in 13^th century. It is no doubt the most spectacular and precious Arabic monument in the Iberian Peninsula, and the most visited site of interests in Spain these years. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

Albaicín is the oldest neighborhood in Granada. Although some mosques were remodeled as churches, you will still find countless tracks from Moorish era here, for example: the maze-like alleys and white façades are conserved well to the day. This neighborhood was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site too.

Neighborhood Sacromonte was where gypsies settled in Granada. They digged caves on the hillsides and resided there. Today Zambras, a type of flamenco dance, is performed in these ancient caves.

Córdoba

Córdoba is the capital of the province of Córdoba in Andalusia. It was occupied by Muslims for five centuries. You will find a rich legacy from that era everywhere in Córdoba. The historic center of Córdoba was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

The Great Mosque of Córdoba is the best-known architecture in Córdoba. Before 784 AD, it was a Christian church where Christians and Muslims went at the same time. Then a mosque was constructed on the base of the original church. That’s why the Great Mosque of Córdoba has both Muslim and Christian architecture style. This mosque played an irreplaceable role during the Arabic predominant in Córdoba.

You won’t miss the picturesque Roman Bridge of Córdoba. When the night falls and the lights are on, the well-conserved bridge glows in the night, which is an unforgettable view.

Córdoba is regarded as a “city of flowers” thanks to the Patio Festival of Córdoba annually celebrated during the second and third week of May, which is an Intangible Heritage of Humanity of Unesco since 2012. During the festival, people decorate their courtyards with flowers to compete to be the winner of “the most beautiful courtyard”. People open their courtyards to the public.

Ronda and Jerez

Ernest Hemingway said: “Ronda is the place where to go, if you are planning to travel to Spain for a honeymoon or for being with a girlfriend. The whole city and its surroundings are a romantic set.”

Ronda is a town constructed on the Canyon of Ronda, the most impressive landscape in Ronda. The two parts of the town stand on two steeps of over 100 meters high divided by the Guadalevín River and connected by “Puente Nuevo (new bridge)” constructed in 18^th century. Seen from the valley, the Canyon of Ronda looks like a gate to the wonderland.

It is highly recommended to stay in a hotel located on the steep, from where you will possess an exclusive view of the enormous grassland in the valley. In the morning the mist rising from the valley makes you feel like being embraced by clouds.

Jerez or Jerez de la Frontera is known as the city of Sherry, flamenco and horses.

The original name in Spanish of the Sherry wine is Jerez. People call it Sherry because the original name Jerez was thought too hard to be pronounced when it was exported to other countries. So, people called it Sherry which is a homophone of Jerez. You will visit sherry wineries of over two hundred years in Jerez.

The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art is located in Jerez. It is dedicated to protecting the pure blood of one of the most famous horses in the world: Andalusian horse. Here you will watch a worldwide prestigious dressage horse show of classical Spanish style.

Moreover, flamenco art is very popular in Jerez. Andalusian Center of Flamenco is in Jerez. You can take a flamenco class to learn flamenco dance skills or flamenco handclapping skills. Or you can simply watch an authentic flamenco show that you won’t find anywhere else in the world.