The Unesco Highlights

Unesco Highlights: the Alcázar Palace + the Santa Cruz district + the Cathedral+ the Giralda

3 1/2 hours

On this tour we will vist the Reales Alcázares de Sevilla, commonly known as the Alcázar of Seville. We will enter the 16th century Casa de la Contratación de las Indias (House of trade of the Indies) with its beautiful admiral’s room where I will tell you about the discovery of the new world and other regions by the Spanish.

Then we will visit the famous Mudéjar Palace, full of azulejos (tiles), stucco decorations, horseshoe arches and beautifully crafted patios.

Afterwards we will walk through the vast private gardens of the palace. Here you will enjoy the smells, colours and rippling sound of the water flowing from the many fountains. I will give you interesting information about the exotic vegetation and the animal species.

Finally, we will visit the Palacio Gótico, the Gothic palace with 400-year-old tapestries. I will tell you some surprising stories about them.

We will use a small gate to walk into the medieval district of Santa Cruz and visit the maze of streets and romantic squares where the Jewish community of Seville used to live. I will tell you about this period and interesting stories will bring the atmospheric neighbourhood to life.

Then we will enter the cathedral via a special entrance for official guides, so that we avoid the long queues. This imposing structure is a large museum built on the site of a medieval mosque. I will explain the different architectural styles and some of the features that make the cathedral unique.

You will stand face to face with the largest main altar in the world, containing more than a thousand gilded statues, an extensive explanation about it is essential. In addition you will learn all about the most important artworks and I will tell you the story of the tomb of Columbus and the mystery of a wooden box.

Spain’s most famous saint is also featured and you will hear about an important fake saint. We will also visit the immense sacristy and treasury.

We will end the tour at the patio with the orange trees that already existed at the time of the mosque on the same spot. From there we have a perfect view of the Giralda, the former minaret, that was converted by the Christians  into a bell tower.