Sevilha

Learn Spanish in Seville, regional capital of Andalusia.

Discover the rich history, traditional festivals, tasty tapas and vibrant nightlife that make this southern city one of Spain’s most popular destinations for language study.

Dating back to Roman times, Seville is now the fourth largest city in Spain.It is divided in two by the Guadalquivir River and its harbour, located about 80 km from the Atlantic Ocean, is the only river port in Spain. In a golden era that peaked in the 17th century, it was a major trading centre of the Spanish Empire.

Seville’s Old Town is among the largest in Europe.

An enchanting network of narrow, winding, medieval lanes and romantic, hidden plazas.Its heritage of art and architecture - Roman, Islamic, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque - is breathtaking.  Seville has no less than three UNESCO World Heritage sites - the Moorish style Alcazar Palace, the General Archive of the Indes containing Christopher Columbus’s diary, and the Cathedral.

The 15th century cathedral is the third largest in the world after St. Peter’s in Rome and St. Paul’s in London, and the resting place of Columbus. Its bell tower, La Giralda, is the minaret of the mosque that stood formerly on this site and has great views over the city.

Among many other sites to explore and enjoy are the Barrio Santa Cruz Jewish quarter, the landscaped Parque Maria Luisa, 13th century Torre de Oro and Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija, which has an extensive collection of  Roman mosaics and priceless artefacts from different centuries.

Seville is easy to get around on foot and it is one of the best-served cities in Spain for cycle lanes with an excellent public bicycle rental scheme.

Take a river cruise or stroll along the Paseo de Colon and cross the Triana bridge into Triana, famous for its flamenco culture and ceramics.Modern Seville is a city of festivals, the best known of which are Holy Week and the Seville Fair in April.

It is also home to the great Andalusian traditions of flamenco and bullfighting as well as one of Spanish football’s great rivalries, between local teams Sevilla and Betis. Nightlife in this university city is relaxed and centres around music venues, nightclubs and tapas bars that are world-renowned.

Local specialities include fried and grilled seafood, grilled and stewed meat, spinach with chickpeas, jamon iberico and gazpacho, and sweet cakes like polvorones. The famous Seville oranges are actually rather bitter and mainly used to make marmalade and lotions!