“Real” means “royal”, and Seville’s Real Alcázar likes to claim it’s the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. It’s a fascinating and beautiful place, and you can easily spend a whole morning or afternoon exploring the palaces and gardens.
As its name suggests, the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos (Castle of the Christian Monarchs) is largely the work of Córdoba’s Christian rulers, but it is built on top of earlier Roman and Muslim structures.
The idiosyncratic combination of Muslim and Christian religious architecture makes the Mezquita, as it is generally known, one of the world’s most remarkable and easily identifiable buildings. Together with the Alhambra, it is the outstanding example of Andalucía’s Islamic heritage, and no first visit to Córdoba would be complete without stepping inside.
