Most of the things that pop into your mind when you think about Spain can be found in Sevilla.  Sevilla takes pride in being part of the heartland of flamenco, continuing the tradition of bullfighting, and serving some of the best tapas in Spain.

I went to Sevilla over a month ago, before the orange trees that line all of the streets started to bloom.  This first solo trip out of Madrid gave me hope that I could see the important sites of a city on the cheap –– under 90 euro –– and in a short amount of time –– less than 48 hours.

I walked the entire city with my high school friend Anna, who now lives and studies there.  Here are some of the highlights:

Cathedral

The cathedral in Sevilla is a fabulous mix of Moorish and Gothic architecture.  The highlight here was the climb to the top of the Giralda, built as a minaret and watchtower.  The Christians later added the bells at the top, but kept the ramps that allowed horsemen to ride all the way up.

Alcázar

When the Moorish caliphs moved out, this became the home of Castilian kings.  It’s not as famous as the Alhambra in Granada, but its decoration is also gorgeous.

Setas

Long before being warred over by the Muslims and Christians, Sevilla was a Roman town.  The super-modern Setas, finished two years ago, protects some of the ruins of that town, Hispania, and provides an impressive overlook of the city.  Setas, which means toadstools, is the popular name for the controversial structure.

Plaza de España

The Plaza de España, built for the Ibero-American Exposition, has a semicircular shape to “embrace” Latin America.  It’s a theatrical space to start, so I was not surprised to find out that it’s been used as a set for Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars.

To see more pictures from Sevilla, click here.