Seville - What You Should Know
| 13 January 2012
Price return Paris Transavia: € 120 (Monday 23 January to Friday, January 27, 2012)
- By bus "amarillo" from the airport (every 30 minutes), 6:45 to 11:30 p.m. (2:15 p.m. ET break between 17h). A single ticket costs € 2.20. The bus leaves you in the center(several stops), you can go to college and then take a normal bus to get to your destination.
- By taxi. To avoid scams constant for tourists and Erasmus, a fixed official rate andhas been declared. The trip airport / Seville (anywhere in the city) costs € 18.58 in normal times and during special € 20.72 (weekend, from 21h, during Holy Week andthe Feria, days holidays). A supplement of € 0.40 per item will be requested more than 60cm. If, despite the flat rate and you are not special time the taxi driver asks you most is an Anarch, ask una "hoja de reclamación". If he sees that you know theprinciple of "hojas of reclamación", it will stop his stories and you will pay the normal price.
Tips: In Spain, any business or commercial establishment (shop, supermarket, government, taxi, bus, plane, restaurant, etc ...) has the obligation of having to provide its customers some kind of complaints book called "libro de reclamación ". If an institution has not or refuses to give it to you (whatever the excuse), you immediately call the police. It will move and a fine salt will fall on the establishment in question ...
Access by plane: Rate
So if you want to complain (bad attention from a vendor, overdue aircraft, fall on the bus ...), you request a "hoja de reclamación" and you write your complaint. This is an official document, a way to complain and possibly claim damages. It goes without saying that a complaint for something serious, not because we waited 10 minutes tothe bus stop and the bus was late. The company then 10 days to respond. If it doesnot, you can go with your copy of complaint to the Office of Consumer Protection.
Even if you never have to use it, it's nice to know this principle. Few foreigners know itexists, and the mere mention will avoid any scams (taxi) or you take more into consideration (problem with a phone company for example).
Trivia: Erasmus of friends took a taxi to go to 4 a night. Seeing that they were foreign, the taxi took the longest route to get to the place indicated. My friends have realized(the taxi was really great to detours quickly as possible, it was really obvious) and henoted. He did not want to know, claiming false excuses (work, deviation ...). She then asked the Libro de Reclamaciones. He then saw that they knew the system, has to leave to their evening and made them pay the price of a normal race.
In this case, they did well, but do not file a complaint against all taxis in Seville who make detours! There are a lot of work in the city because of subway construction, and many roads are cut ...
Use the tram to visit Seville
Also in order to optimize the transport system, a tram line, called Metrocentro was built on 1.35 km through the center of the city (between Avenida Carlos V and Plaza Nueva). It was inaugurated October 28, 2007. Supposed to relieve the historic center while prohibiting traffic on Avenida de la Constitución, has motivated the movement of the main hub of the bus network (formerly the Puerta de Jerez) at the terminus of the tram at the Prado de San Sebastian .
WHAT MUST SEE SEVILLE
There are so many things to see in Seville that a lifetime would not suffice. Capital of Andalusia, it is certainly one of the most beautiful cities in the world (and if not, have them notice to Sevilla!). The sky is blue individual (the song also says: "Sevilla tiene an especial color ...") and the sun is present most of the time.
A famous old saying says "quien no ha visto Sevilla no ha visto una Maravilla" (one who has not seen Seville have not seen a marvel). Here is a brief overview of what you can find in Seville, which is worth visiting at any time of year. (Ideal time anyway: April-May to June)
Seville Cathedral (Catedral de Sevilla)
"A church so large that those who will think we were crazy" ...
It is in this spirit that began the construction of the Cathedral of Seville. This is one of the largest Catholic cathedrals in the world and the largest in Spain. Its construction began in 1402 and continued until the sixteenth century. Its dimensions make it the largest Gothic building built entirely in the Middle Ages. It measures 115 meters long, 76 meters wide and has five naves.
Seville Cathedral was built on the site of one of the twelfth century Almohad mosque. The mosque was converted into a cathedral in 1248, the year Fernando III of Castile reconquered the city. The minaret of the mosque was converted into Campanille: the Giralda. The cathedral houses the patron saint of Seville, the Virgen de los Reyes, and many sculptures, paintings, and the (real) tomb of Christopher Columbus (there are few authenticated). In 1928 the cathedral became a national monument, and in 1987 she was recognized as World Heritage by UNESCO.
Do not miss the patio of orange trees, the Chapel Royal, the great sacristy, the Central Choir.
Price: € 7.50 full price, € 2 discount (student, resident, unemployed ...). Free on Sundays.
La Giralda
The Giralda is the former minaret of the Almohad Great Mosque of Seville in Andalusia. After the reconquest of the city, the temple was converted into a Muslim cathedral, the Giralda and thus became the bell tower. While the original mosque disappeared after an earthquake in the fourteenth century, and the construction of the present cathedral, the Giralda was preserved and accommodated to the tastes of Spain. This is one of the most important monuments of the Hispano-Muslim architecture, and the emblem that is now the most famous and most symbolic of the city of Seville. So much so that a default rule prohibits planning to raise a building as high as the Giralda (96m) in the center of the Andalusian capital.
Source: Wikipedia
It is not very difficult to climb because the steps are very flat (before the muezzin went up 5 times a day to call Muslims to prayer on a donkey). Suberbe view of the city and the cathedral from the bell tower.
The Alcazar (Reales Alcazares de Sevilla)
The Alcázar of Seville is a fortified palace originally built by the Umayyad of Spain from 844 during the reign of Abd al Rahman II. This monument of Seville was enlarged by several estates Caliphate and partially rebuilt in a Mudejar by Peter I in the fourteenth century after the 1356 earthquake that destroyed much of Seville.Alfonso X the Wise built as a Gothic palace where Charles V lived. The Alcázar of Seville is more than seven centuries a royal residence, the royal family of Spain is now using the floor.
Source: Wikipedia
To see: Lion's Gate, the Palace Gothic, the Admirals Room (built by Isabella the Catholic), the Court des Demoiselles, the Court of Dolls, baths and gardens.
Admission: € 7 (full price), free for students, seniors and residents. Attention, closed on Mondays.
Casa de Pilatos
The construction of the Casa de Pilatos began in the late fifteenth century. It is a sumptuous palace, located in the old town. This is a very interesting monument to be visited by the combination of different styles: Mudejar, Gothic and renaissance. It also has many Roman antiquities, paintings and furniture from various periods. (To avoid visiting in more than 40 ° in July not to be red like me on the picture!)
Admission: € 5 on the ground floor, 8 € whole palace. Free on Tuesday afternoon.
Spain Square (Plaza de España)
Built for Expo 1929 (Ibero-American Exposition), it now houses many of the Spanish administration services (including office abroad, the NIE ...). Beautiful place (especially in the sun) where all the Spanish provinces are represented in ceramics.
Maria Luisa Park (Parque Maria Luisa)
It is the largest urban park in Seville, it was designed by a French landscape for the exhibition of 1929. It houses many pavilions of the exhibition, such as the Pavilion.Many monuments, roundabouts and squares within the park are dedicated to the great Spanish writers such as Cervantes, Becquer.
Do not miss the Archaeological Museum (closed Mondays), Plaza de América, the Pavilions
To do: a little bike ride or "carriage-bike" (can be rented in the park) for a drink in bars or Bilindo Alfonso, in summer, and Alfonso Bilindo turn into nightclubs to was open.
Archives of the Indies (Archivo de Indias)
Built in 1572, it contains valuable documents on the relations between Spain and the American colonies.
Golden Tower (Torre del Oro)
Planted on the banks of the Guadalquivir, the Tower of Gold dated XIII century. This is the last building in the city Muslims. Originally, it was a fortress to protect the harbor, it was connected to the Alcazar. There are several theories to explain its name: Formerly, it was covered with bricks / tiles gold (azulejos), but they say it is also in this tower that is unloading and storing gold from America. It now houses the Naval Museum.
University of Seville (Universidad de Sevilla, Rectorado)
The University of Seville is an old tobacco factory, which was once the largest in Europe. It is said that in these places has déroullé the true story of Carmen. (Indeed, this is where the film was shot with Paz Vega, released in 2003).
One can enter without problems for the visit.
La Maestranza
It has between 12,000 and 14,000 seats (in the shade or sun) and is considered one of the finest arenas in Spain. She has a special form: either round or oval shape reminiscent of a heart. It can be visited and a museum on the bulls and bullfighting. During the Feria de Sevilla, this place hosts the best bullfighters of the moment.
San Telmo Palace (Palacio de San Telmo)
Former Naval Academy, the palace became the residence of the sister of Isabella II.A cete time, the Maria Luisa Park was part of the palace.
Santa Cruz neighborhood (Barrio de Santa Cruz)
In the Middle Ages, it was the Jewish quarter of the city. After the Reconquista, the Christians turned all the synagogues into churches. It consists of small winding streets, white houses with beautiful interior patios full of flowers. There are many bars, restaurants and souvenir shops ... Watch out for tourist traps!
Triana
Triana is located on the opposite bank of the Guadalquivir. This area was the birthplace of the greatest flamenco singers and many bullfighters. This is one of the most beautiful areas of the city, where few tourists venture. There are many paved streets and houses decorated with mosaics. Old gypsy slum and is now a place in fashion and real estate speculation has gradually removed the "corrals of vecinos" (old houses where all the units are distributed around a central courtyard). But Triana has not lost its charm and is one of the best place to live in Seville. (And this is where I live also!)
To see: the statue of Belmonte just before the Triana Bridge (looking through the cut, we see the Giralda well ...), the walk along the calle Betis (the afternoon to see the other side of sunny) the churches (Santa Ana, San Jacinto, El Cachorro), the district of Santa Ana.