SEVILLA, SPAIN

LEANING OVER the railing atop La Giralda – the bell tower of Seville Cathedral and the city’s signature landmark – I peer down upon the church’s sprawling rooftop and supporting buttresses. This is Spain’s largest cathedral and the world’s third largest. Cloistered within its sanctuary walls grows a quiet garden of orange trees heavy with fruit. Beyond the cathedral spreads four square kilometres of winding, cobbled streets. Seville is known as the Pearl of Andalusia, Spain’s southern region for which Seville serves as capital. The streets are a labyrinth of historic buildings, plazas and smaller churches, among them three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the cathedral itself.

Seville’s walkable streets – many are pedestrian only – wend through neighbourhoods past tapas bars, quiet parks, busy markets, public squares and Christian sanctuaries. Tourists view the elegant architecture from horse-drawn carriages, double-decker tour buses, rental bikes and electric scooters.

The city’s Moorish and Arabian beginnings are stamped on many of its most important structures. The cathedral itself is a converted 12th century mosque and the Giraldi bell tower I’m standing in was originally a minaret. The Alcazar Palace next to the cathedral is a Christian site built on a Muslim residential fortress, astonishingly beautiful for the intricacy of its Moorish carved stone and glazed tile decor.

From the top of the tower, I snap a few more pics and descend its 35 levels back down to the street. The view from the tower is grand indeed, but walking Seville’s streets among the cafes, bars, shops and shoppers with the aroma of espresso and spicy paella filling the air, is the best way to get to know the Pearl of Andalusia. spain.info/en/

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BY BIANCA BUJAN