Seville Cathedral and Alcázar

La Giralda tower, the Catedral de Sevilla, and the Alcázar combine to form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These three exceptional historic landmarks are the top tourist attractions of Seville.

Considered a masterpiece of Almohad architecture, La Giralda, the emblem of Seville, began life as a minaret and is all that's left of the city's Great Mosque, destroyed to build the cathedral.

The Cathedral of Seville has more interior space than St. Peter's in Rome and a 37-meter main altar of carved statues completely covered in gold. The monumental tomb to Christopher Columbus is held aloft by a quartet of larger-than-life figures.

The Alcázar opposite the cathedral was begun by the Moors in 712 and redesigned after the Christian Reconquest by Pedro I in ornate Mudéjar style (blending Gothic and Muslim architectural elements). The rooms and salons are breathtaking, with fanciful embellishments such as intricate tiled walls and patterned ceilings.

Shaded by fragrant orange and lemon trees, the dreamy Alcázar gardens were pictured in the Game of Thrones series. Fans of this show may recognize the fountains from the Kingdom of Dorne's Water Gardens.

Bordering the Alcázar on the east is the Barrio de Santa Cruz, the former Judería (Jewish quarter), a neighborhood of whitewashed homes, iron balconies, and flower-filled courtyards.