Royal Alcázar

You are standing at the Lion Gate, the entrance to the Royal Alcázar of Seville. Behind this wall lies a maze of palaces, courtyards and gardens built over almost a thousand years.

1From Moorish fortress to royal palace

The walls you see date back to the Moorish period, and the Almohads rebuilt much of the complex in the 12th century. After the conquest of 1248, the kings of Castile made it their residence. Alfonso X built a Gothic palace and, between 1356 and 1364, Peter I raised the Mudéjar palace, the jewel of the complex, with craftsmen from Granada and Toledo. Its Arabic inscriptions sing the praises of a Christian king.

2Weddings, kings and dragons

In 1526 Emperor Charles V married Isabella of Portugal here. To this day the royal family stays at the Alcázar when visiting Seville, which is why it is described as the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. Its gardens also served as a set for the series «Game of Thrones».

The cathedral, the Alcázar and the Archive of the Indies were declared World Heritage together in 1987.

If you go inside, don't miss the Courtyard of the Maidens, with its long reflecting pool, or the gardens, among the oldest in the city.

3What to look for

• The tiled lion above the gate that gives the entrance its name.
• The battlements on the wall, a legacy of the Moorish fortress.
• Plaza del Triunfo, between the Alcázar, the cathedral and the Archive of the Indies.