Seville Cathedral

The cathedral was built between 1401 and 1528 on the site of a 12th-century Almohad mosque. Its Gothic body is 126 metres long and 76 metres wide, with a nave 36 metres high, and when it was finished in the early 16th century it overtook Hagia Sophia as the largest cathedral in the world. Together with the Alcázar and the Archive of the Indies it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987.

The Giralda, 104.5 metres tall, was the mosque's minaret. Instead of stairs it has ramps, wide enough for a rider on horseback, which make the climb to the top easier than it looks. In the 16th century the architect Hernán Ruiz added the Renaissance belfry, crowned in 1568 by the bronze weathervane statue known as the Giraldillo. The Patio de los Naranjos, the mosque's courtyard with orange trees and a fountain, also survives.

Inside, the gilded main altarpiece, the Retablo Mayor, was begun in 1482 and is one of the largest in the world. The tomb of Christopher Columbus is carried by four figures representing the kingdoms of Spain, and the Royal Chapel holds Spanish monarchs including Ferdinand III. On Tiqets you can choose a skip-the-line ticket for the cathedral and the Giralda, the same with a guided tour, a guided tour on its own, or a small-group tour.

The Alcázar stands on the same square, so the two are easy to combine in one day; visit the cathedral in the morning, when the climb up the Giralda is cooler. Dress respectfully, as it is a place of worship.