Sevilla is the setting for Bizet’s Carmen as well as Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro.

It is a seductive, sun-drenched city of orange blossoms, the twirl of the flamenco dancer, the strumming of the solo guitar and the delicious smells of Spanish cooking. It is a city where orange trees adorn every street and square. On every patio and every terrace birds sing and geraniums bloom.

Sevilla is at its best during the spring. And the climax of spring is Semana Santa(Holy Week). Dozens of lavish processions thread their way through the city each day, celebrating religious piety with Andalusian flair. Thousands upon thousands of people line the streets to participate in the colorful festivities.

At one time, Seville was Spain’s largest city. It was the gateway through which the vast wealth of the New World poured. It served as the host of two World Expositions.

The enormous cathedral, the burial place of Christopher Columbus, is the third largest in Christendom and claims to be the largest gothic building in the world. Its bell-tower - the famous 12th c. Giralda - was originally built by the Moors as a minaret and later appropriated by the cathedral.

Seville offers one of the finest hotels in the world - a 1929 landmark, built by King Alfonso XIII to house his guests. It still serves as a meeting place for Sevillano society.

For those who prefer a more intimate setting, Seville is also home of a lovely, small inn made from renovated houses in the medieval Barrio de Santa Cruz.