The empire strikes back in Seville, Spain

My kind of place: The historic Andalusian city is lively, walkable and tremendously inexpensive.

The skyline of Seville. The city is full of handsomely decorated buildings, and is also famous for its tapas and flamenco dancing. Getty Images

Why Seville?

Once the greatest commercial city in Europe, and the monopolistic gateway to the riches coming in from the Americas, Seville’s decline since its 16th-century heyday seems to have been relatively well managed. It’s no longer the hub of a great empire, although some impressive remnants remain, but Seville has scaled back into something less grand yet instantly engaging. History is only one part of the mix – Seville is lively at night, walkable and tremendously inexpensive.

There are some big-hitting key attractions, the major cultural exports of tapas and flamenco included, that are worth visiting for in their own right. But it’s also a wonderful city in which to tear up plans and wander. There’s enormous pleasure to be gained from looking up at the handsomely decorated buildings, sitting for a few minutes in orange tree-lined squares and getting merrily lost in the haphazard labyrinth of centuries-old pedestrianised streets.

A comfortable bed

Hotel Alfonso XIII (www.hotel-alfonsoxiii-seville.com) is all lavishly beautiful decadence, with dark-wood ceilings, enormous chandeliers and superlative tile art. Rooms come in three different styles – Andalusian, Castilian and Moorish – and there's a sense that you're staying in a palace. Double rooms cost from €252 (Dh1,011).

Of the many charming converted houses based round courtyards, Hotel Casa 1800 (www.hotelcasa1800sevilla.com) is arguably the one to send the heart doing little heel-clicks. Sumptuous wooden floors, exposed brickwork and furniture designed to fit the rooms help make it special. Rooms cost from €120 (Dh481).

Hotel America (www.hotelamericasevilla.com) offers three-star budget solidity with very little to grumble about, from €52 (Dh209).

Find your feet

Seville’s Gothic cathedral is a behemoth, constructed as a statement of intent in the 15th century. The 104-metre-tall Giralda tower – formerly a minaret from the days when a mosque was on the site – is generally regarded as the symbol of the city.

It's a short stroll from there to the Alcázar (www.alcazarsevilla.org), one of the world's most extraordinary buildings. It's a fortified collection of palaces, and the wealth of decorative magic applied to the courtyards, rooms and chambers is mesmerising. It's no wonder that it has been chosen as a filming location for the next series of Game of Thrones. The fountain-filled gardens are an absolute delight, too.

From there, head north-west into the atmospheric maze of cobbled streets in the Barrio de Santa Cruz. It’s made for daydreamy ambling, and once you find your way out, it’s easy to swing south towards the showy monuments and meticulously landscaped lawns of the Parque de María Luisa.

Meet the locals

A stroll over the bridge to the other side of the Guadalquivir River will bring you to Triana, a likeable area studded with unpretentious cafes and restaurants. Most visitors don’t bother, hence the scene is unmistakably local. Triana is particularly buzzy on weekends.

Book a table

Seville is the home of tapas, and there's far more fun to be had hopping around myriad tapas bars than sitting down behind a starched white tablecloth in a fine-dining establishment. The knowledgeable small-group tapas tours with Azahar Sevilla (www.azahar-sevilla.com/tapas-tours) are an excellent way of discovering tiny joints that you may otherwise saunter straight past. Tours cost from €60 (Dh241).

Bodeguita Romero (www.bodeguita-romero.com) should please traditionalists – it's 75 years old, and has been passed down through three generations of the same family. Dishes include €8 (Dh32) half-plates of goose thighs or scrambled eggs with salt cod.

Eslava (www.espacioeslava.com) is more fashionably modern, but most tapas cost about €3 (Dh12). Graze through five or six, including the mushroom cake with a free-range egg on top – and you'll be deliriously contented.

Shopper’s paradise

The two major shopping streets – Calle Sierpes and Calle Velázquez – run parallel through the centre of the city. There's an astonishing concentration of stylish shoe shops, but Maquedano (www.maquedano.com) is the spot with charm – it's an old-fashioned hat shop, seemingly preserved in aspic.

Barrio de Santa Cruz has some good souvenir-ish stores, but they’re drowned out by bad ones. Head to Triana instead. It’s the home of traditional tile art, and many “cerámicas” can be found around Calle Antillano. The Cerámica de Santa Ana has a gorgeously colourful collection for sale at reasonable prices.

What to avoid

The Semana Santa week (usually in April, but occasionally in March) and Feria de Abril (two weeks afterwards) are extraordinary spectacles. But unless you’re visiting specifically for them, these are the times to avoid – accommodation prices rocket upwards.

Don’t miss

Flamenco is the Andalusian region's traditional art form. Alas, that means many cynically poor shows aimed at tourists. Those at the Casa de la Memoria (www.casadelamemoria.es), however, are the real deal. It's a small, intimate venue inside an 18th-century palace, so make advance reservations. Tickets cost €18 (Dh72).

Getting there

Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) fly direct from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Madrid from Dh3,285 and Dh3,945. High-speed trains (www.renfe.com) from Madrid to Seville take two-and-a-half hours, and cost about €61 (Dh245) return.

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