Walking in Seville

Seville is a walking city.

It’s small enough to get everywhere you need to go by foot, you won’t find a street without a bar or restaurant that’s worth stopping at, the streets are shaded by orange trees and the more you wander, the more you’ll discover.

Slip on a pair of sandals and set out to explore.

The Cathedral is a good place to start.

Skip the queue (utter madness at this time of year. People queue all.day.long.) and enjoy it from the outside.

The biggest gothic cathedral in the world, building started in 1402 and finished in 1506 – quite the project!

The famous words behind its conception? “Hagamos una Iglesia tan hermosa y tan grandiosa que los que la vieren labrada nos tengan por locos” (“Let us build a church so beautiful and so grand that those who see it finished will think we are mad”).

Mission accomplished!

The surrounding buildings and plazas are worth strolling past. The sun warmed sand stone, babbling fountains and swaying orange trees make it feel like its own little oasis, in the middle of the city.

Cat eye sunglasses

Button up cotton dress (comes in 3 colours)

Ad - Shop this post

Blue jumper (25% off with “2C2Z”) // Top handle basket

Gold & tan sandals

Take your time as you explore, peer into little courtyards and explore streets that seem to go nowhere.

You never know what treasures you’ll find.

If you visit during Samana Santa you’ll notice balconies decorated with flags, hangings and dried palm leaves.

Nowhere is this more impressive than in the square behind the cathedral – during Easter celebrations all roads lead to the cathedral!

And you’ll soon be joined on the streets by good Spanish catholics, on their way to see the processions.

Make your way into the pretty pastel coloured, narrow and winding streets of the old Jewish quarter – known as Santa Cruz.

Cobbled streets filled with traditional shops, old bars and crumbling churches.

Admire the local women in their Semana Santa finery.

A quick comment about how lovely they look goes a long way!

And they really do.

The combs (peinetas) and black lace veils (mantillas) are traditional for Semana Santa and show that the women are in mourning for Christ.

White ones are worn during a time of celebration, particularly weddings.

There’s a tremendous amount of pride involved in getting ready for Semana Santa. People pass down peinetas to their daughters and granddaughters and once the celebrations are over, the mantillas are carefully packaged away in tissue until they’re needed again.

If only we had more excuses to wear lace veils in England!

There’s no quiet period for restaurants during Semana Santa, and you’ll often find them ignoring their usual opening times – throwing their doors open far earlier and serving late into the night.

People eat around church services and processions, filling the streets with chattering groups of all ages.