Spain's great southern city of Seville has a romantic past and a rich Moorish heritage. The city is the regional capital of Andalucia, which contains the densely populated beach resorts of the Costa del Sol along its southern reaches, and the mountain villages of the Sierra Nevada range further inland, about 25 miles (40km) from the coast.

Seville has an impressive collection of historical sights, including its Cathedral, which is the largest Gothic building in the world. Having been occupied by the Moors for 500 years, the city also has a legacy left by the Arab kings in the form of the Alcazar, a palace-fortress that is regarded as one of the finest existing examples of Moorish architecture.

It is the perfect setting for high culture and romantic operas like Carmen, Don Juan and Figaro, while the poet Byron however rated Seville for its women and oranges. Modern visitors might add flamenco, tapas and bull fighting to the list. The soul of the city is best epitomised during its two passion-filled grand festivals, the Semana Santa, held the week before Easter, and the Feria de Abril, held two weeks after Easter Sunday.

The area around Seville itself does not provide much in the way of tourist attractions, except for the rural villages of the Sierra Morena to the north, which offer some perfect walking trails between the modest mountain peaks, particularly in spring when the area is carpeted with wild flowers.

Seville Cathedral

Address: Avenida de la Constitución Seville

Admission: EUR8 Daily from 9.30am to 4.30pm (July and August); rest of the year Monday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm, and Sunday from 2.30pm to 6pm

Telephone: +34 95 421 4971

Alcázar of Seville

Address: Plaza del Triunfo Seville

Admission: EUR5 Tuesday to Saturday 9.30am to 7pm, Sunday 9.30am to 5pm

Telephone: +34 95 450 2323

Santa Cruz

Address: Seville

Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes de Sevilla

Address: 9 Plaza del Museo Seville

Admission: EUR1.50 Tuesday from 3pm to 8pm; Wednesday to Saturday from 9am to 8pm; Sunday from 9am to 2pm

Telephone: 95 422 1829

Maria Luisa Park

Address: Seville

Torre del Oro

Address: Seville

Admission: Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 2pm; weekends from 11am to 2pm

Ronda

Address: Seville

Admission: No admission to view and traverse the Puento Nueveo; EUR6 to go into the bullring. 2 hours from Seville by car

Gibraltar

Address: Seville

Admission: Cable Car Adult Return Ticket: £8 or EUR13.50; Cable Car and Nature Reserve Adult Return Ticket : £16 or EUR26.50

Sherry Bodegas

Address: Seville

El Rinconcillo

Address: C/Gerona 40 y Alhondigo 2 Seville

Food Type: Spanish

Restaurante San Marco

Address: Calle Meson del Moro Seville

Food Type: Italian

Egana Oriza

Address: San Fernando 41 Seville

Food Type: Spanish

Barbiana

Address: Calle Albaredo 11 Seville

Food Type: Spanish

La Albahaca

Address: Plaza Santa Cruz 12 Seville

Food Type: French

Corral Del Rey

Address: Corral Del Rey 12 Seville

Food Type: International

Az-Zait

Address: Plaza San Lorenzo 1 Seville

Food Type: Spanish