Have I ever told you how much I love to travel? Well, I do! A lot! I have this terrible urge from time to time to explore a new place and find its hidden gems; some wonderful and explosive “wanderlust” takes over me and I need to jump into a plane and discover a new city!
This time, Andalusia called and I needed to go right into the heart of this beautiful region…
The urban fashion that I create also reflects this and every new collection embodies the colors and energy of a place, trying to capture its essence. This time, Andalusia called and I needed to go right into the heart of this beautiful region of Spain, in Seville – the capital of Andalusia and the birth place of Flamenco.
I have fallen in love with Seville…
There was something about it – the energy, the life, the people, the colors, the smell!
I have fallenl in love with Seville the moment I arrived. There was something about it – the energy, the life, the people, the colors, the smell! Flowers and a lovely floral balsamic detergent everywhere – and this means one thing: that these people are cleaning and washing the streets a couple of times a day and the place is stunningly clean – one of the cleanest cities in Europe that I have seen. It was a pleasure to walk in it even in the hottest days, as there was this sense of fresh air everywhere! Imagine then all the flowers, orange and lemon trees – what a scent! I was mesmerized!
We stayed at a lovely hostel in the center, very close to the Cathedral and the Real Alcazar, a less than 5 minutes walk through the beautiful narrow streets of Seville. Right next to us there was the beautiful church Santa Maria la Blanca, a jewel of the Andalusian Baroque. And on that street, Calle Sta. María la Blanca, there were so many incredible restaurants, where you could have the best tapas and a very good Sangria.
Seville is not so expensive as the other big European cities and with just 12 euros you could get the daily menu at almost any central restaurant, that consisted of first and second course of great traditional Spanish food, coffee or desert and a beverage, so quite a great deal! Not to mention that you could have different tapas at different bars or restaurants and eat really good and taste all the Andalusian flavors!
…all the goods, the gold and everything they found in the New World came through the port of Seville.
History
Seville was first a Roman city, but then the Muslims conquered it in 712, that’s why the Moorish influence is still so present there and the decorations and the buildings carry on the Moorish style, most of them being actual Moorish buildings. I found it very similar to Marrakesh on so many occasions, like a luxurious and very clean Marrakesh. Seville was under Castilian rule from the end of the 13th century, but it is incredible how this magnetic Moorish style is still so alive in the modern Seville.
The Golden Age of Seville came with the discovery of America by Cristopher Columbus, who by trading with the Crown of Castile, made Seville the most important city in the world in the following years. The House of Trade was set in Seville and thus, this city became the only port awarded with the royal monopoly of trade, so all the goods, the gold and everything they found in the New World came through the port of Seville. You can imagine how many investors, trade men, artists came in Seville then. Its population doubled only in the first years and Seville became the center of the world and probably the richest city back then. This prosperous age lasted less than 100 years, because the ships became larger and larger and not being directly linked to the sea, it was harder and harder to reach the port, so the House of Trade moved to Cadiz in the late 16th century. With that, lots of these investors moved as well, but they for sure left a great city behind that is still one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen.
Now that I have shared a bit of history with you, so you will know some important facts when you visit Seville, I will share with you the places that I have visited and that you should definitely see. I have stayed for three days. While in the first day, I did some visiting, it was more filled by location scouting for the photo shooting. The second day was exclusive for the shooting and the last day was more of a touristic day, so I probably need to go back to discover all the hidden gems of Seville, but the main attractions are checked on my bucket list.
Real Alcazar
Did you know that the upper levels of this incredible palace are still used today by the Royal Family when they are in Seville? I noticed that one couldn’t enter in some areas of the palace, but I had no idea that this is the reason until now. Well, I know why! The place is a paradise, an incredible tranquil palace with palm trees, lots of gardens, peacocks walking freely around and beautiful Mudejar architecture.
Time to visit: A couple of hours for sure. I have stayed more than 4 hours, but I could have stayed longer.
Don’t miss out: The Baths of Maria de Padilla. They are beneath the Patio del Crucero. Quite easy to miss. I have previously seen a picture of this beautiful place, but reached it only by accident.
Plaza de Espana
What a delight and glory! This incredibly beautiful place, where you can see Seville’s ceramic in all its glory was built in 1929 for the Ibero-American exposition, just to show off mainly and they for sure did a wonderful job!
Provinces from Spain are depicted along the square, each with its specific colors. You will see lots of our photos from the new collection Andalusia taken there, as we absolutely loved the place and it is for sure something not to miss out. We also have a marvelous video filmed there that we will share very soon. Hope you will enjoy it!
Time to visit: One hour or more, if you wish to stay there, absorb its beauty or just take a break.
Barrio Santa Cruz
The most famous area of Seville, quite emblematic, it was a former Jewish neighborhood and now it is the center of the beautiful Seville, full of narrow intimate and cozy streets with beautiful houses, full of flowers, orange tress and lovely fountains. I have again enjoyed the cleanliness of this area like all of Seville; the smell of flowers and rich gardens was purely mesmerizing.
Time to visit: 1-2 hours, but just get lost in it, don’t use any map, just enjoy the surroundings and the beautiful streets.
Plaza de Toros
I really do not agree with bullfighting, as I see it as a barbaric habit, but hey, it’s a Spanish tradition and I must admit that being in an actual corrida is really impressive. There is a sort of power that you can sense when you enter this corrida and walk on that golden sandy dust and look at the arena that is surrounding you. The place is really worth seeing and visiting. I don’t know if I could stand to see an actual live bullfighting but to visit one, well, that is very different. The place can be visited only with a guide and every 30 minutes or so there are guided tours that are in the price of one ticket – 8 euros. It all starts with a museum of paintings and different costumes and things of people who have invested in the corrida and all the toreadors who have fought in this arena. A very nice lady, who is holding a bilingual tour in Spanish and English, carries you through the whole history of bullfighting. Did you know that the toreadors were very well trained from their youth, almost like a military training? That was quite impressive! And did you know that a toreador costume may cost up to 10.000 euros? But the beauty of it is beyond words!
Time to visit: 50 – 60 minutes
