Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain

The Royal Alcázar of Seville (Real Alcázar) is one of the most beautiful palaces in Spain and the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe — the Spanish royal family stays here to this day. Begun in the 10th century as the fortified residence of the city’s Muslim rulers, it was rebuilt and enlarged over the centuries, and its greatest treasure dates from the 1360s, when the Christian king Pedro I employed Moorish craftsmen to create a sumptuous Mudéjar palace, blending Islamic and Christian art into one of the finest surviving examples of that uniquely Iberian style. Together with the neighbouring cathedral and the Archivo de Indias, the Alcázar was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987, and it has enchanted modern audiences as a filming location for Game of Thrones.

What to See

The heart of the palace is the Mudéjar Palace of Pedro I, entered through an ornate façade and centred on the exquisite Patio de las Doncellas (Courtyard of the Maidens), a colonnaded court of arabesque plasterwork, azulejo tiles and a long reflecting pool, restored to reveal its original sunken garden. Beyond it lie the domed Hall of Ambassadors with its gilded “half-orange” cupola, the little Patio de las Muñecas and richly decorated royal chambers, alongside the earlier Gothic Palace built by Alfonso X and rooms hung with tapestries. Just as memorable are the vast gardens — some seven hectares of terraces, pools, palms and orange trees, mazes and pavilions, cooled by fountains and channels and featuring a rare water-organ. The Alcázar’s tiled courtyards and lush water gardens will be instantly familiar to fans of Game of Thrones, which used them as the kingdom of Dorne.

How to Get There and Practical Information

The Alcázar stands in the very centre of Seville’s old town, right beside the great cathedral and the Giralda and a short walk from the Santa Cruz quarter and the Guadalquivir river. Seville is easily reached by high-speed AVE train from Madrid in around two and a half hours and has its own airport; the historic centre is compact and best explored on foot. The palace is ticketed, with general admission and reduced rates for EU seniors and students, plus a small extra charge to tour the upper royal apartments (the Cuarto Real Alto); it is one of the city’s busiest sights, so booking a timed ticket online in advance and arriving early is strongly advised. Allow at least a couple of hours for the palaces and gardens, ideally combined with a visit to the cathedral next door.