Living in
Sevilla
A big city
Seville is the capital of Andalusia, the southernmost region of the Iberian Peninsula, and is one of the most populated cities in Spain with almost 700,000 inhabitants. Seville has been a city of great importance since ancient times, being situated on the banks of the Guadalquivir River. In fact, Seville is the only inland city in Spain that has a port, where its ships stop at the mouth of the river in San Lúcar de Barrameda, Cádiz.
Seville has a large metropolitan area. It is made up of 46 municipalities, with a total of about 1,510,000 inhabitants. The capital has one of the largest airports in Spain with multiple international destinations and is also very well communicated with the rest of the Spanish cities thanks to the railway network.
An unparalleled history
The old quarter of Seville is about 4 km2, the largest in Spain and the sixth largest in Europe after Rome, Naples, Venice, Florence and Genoa. Seville is home to the remains of the civilisations that have left their mark throughout history. The city has a very important multicultural richness, which is reflected in its historic buildings from the Christian, Muslim and even Jewish cultures. An example of the latter is the Santa Cruz neighbourhood, located in the city centre, where if you wander through its narrow streets you will always come to a small square with a view of the Giralda of Seville.
Seville has also been the protagonist of such important historical events as the First Round the World Race, when the Nao Victoria, captained by Juan Sebastián Elcano, arrived in the port of Seville on 8 September 1522 after sailing the seas of the world for three long years.
In its more recent history, Seville hosted the 1992 Expo, in which 108 countries took part and received nearly 50 million visitors from all over the world.
Its important monumental and cultural heritage
As a result of its historical and cultural wealth, Seville has both religious and civil buildings with influences from the Romans, Visigoths, Arabs and European movements such as Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. Its rich historical and monumental heritage makes Seville a host city for a wide range of national and international tourism. Seville is one of the capitals of Europe with the most internationally recognised monumental heritage. Highlights include the Cathedral, the Giralda, the Real Alcázar (where scenes from series such as Game of Thrones have been filmed) and the Archivo de Indias, all of which were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1987.
It has many other places of interest such as the Torre del Oro on the banks of the Guadalquivir or the Plaza de España, where scenes from films such as “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones” were filmed.
In addition, the impressive city also has large parks and gardens that counteract the stressful atmosphere of a big city. Highlights include the Alameda de Hércules, which is the oldest preserved public garden in Europe since 1574 and other gardens such as the well-known Maria Luisa Park in the city centre, the Alamillo Park being an ideal place to rest and have a picnic, and the Parque de los Príncipes.
A city of festivals and fun
Seville has a great atmosphere in its streets. In the city centre there are large shopping centres mixed with small local shops, bars and restaurants where you can enjoy the famous Andalusian tapas as well as churches and monuments of great interest, which give the city a unique atmosphere.
In addition, the typical Sevillian festivals such as the Semana Santa (Holy Week) and the Feria de Abril (April Fair) are well known all over the world. The Semana Santa takes place between winter and spring and the atmosphere of the city at that time is very different from the rest of the year, as the Sevillians are great fans of these festivities. The same goes for the Feria de Abril, the famous Andalusian fair where you will see women dressed in the typical flamenco dress and men on horseback.
Seville also has theme parks such as Isla Mágica, Guadalpark and Agua Mágica, where you can enjoy with your friends in winter and summer.
Also a university city
Many of Seville’s inhabitants are also students, as there are 3 universities in Seville: the University of Seville, the Pablo de Olavide University, both public, and the private Loyola University. Therefore, Seville is an ideal city to stay and enjoy both its traditional and cultural atmosphere and its student and university life!