Real Alcázar de Sevilla: a Hidden Spanish Treasure

My visit to Seville, Spain was a last-minute decision. I had originally planned on visiting Morocco, but when those plans fell through, I hopped on a train to visit Seville solo instead. Although I loved the rest of the city, Real Alcázar was the highlight of my time there.

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Incredible History = Incredible Architecture

A small, open air oasis of tranquil water and orange trees in the center of the palace — A small, open-air oasis of tranquil water and orange trees in the center of the palace

I took a guided tour through Real Alcázar and learned its incredible history from a local. The extensive palace was home to Muslim leaders in Seville until Christians conquered the port city in the 13th century. Although the then Muslim city was conquered by Christians, the new king decided to invite the previous inhabitants to stay in the city, rather than forcing them to leave or killing them. As a result, the Muslims helped to rebuild Real Alcázar into his palace. The work of Muslims and Christians working together to build such a palace resulted in some of the most beautiful Moorish architecture I have ever seen.

Admiring the architecture in the royal bedchambers of the palace

I am in no way a historian, so that was the very brief basics of what occurred. However, seeing evidence of both Muslim and Christian influences in various parts of the palace made me incredibly happy. This palace is proof of the beauty that can occur with cooperation between groups of people, rather than violence.

Muslim carvings in the walls of the palace, praising their new king, and giving thanks to their God — Arabic carvings in the walls of the palace, praising king Peter Castile, and giving thanks to their God

Real Alcázar Today

Today, Real Alcázar still remains the royal residence when the Spanish king visits Seville. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a popular tourist destination in the city of Seville, located directly next to the beautiful Seville Cathedral. The gardens of the palace were even used as a filming location for the popular HBO show Game of Thrones!

The front gate of Real Alcázar opening to reveal the neighboring Seville Cathedral

Game of Thrones!

A huge reason why I decided to visit Seville was the fact that Real Alcázar is the filming location for the city of Dorne in Game of Thrones. My tour guide was even a huge fan of the show, and we gushed over the scenes that were shot there, as well as how incredibly nice the actors were that she met during their stay.

My Alcázar Tour

I chose a guided tour through Get Your Guide, and was not disappointed! My tour guide was funny, knowledgeable, and answered my never-ending questions about the palace and gardens. The tour groups are small with this company, but I had this tour all to myself! It was honestly the best-guided tour I have ever taken.

I highly recommend visiting Seville, and splurging on a guided tour of Real Alcázar with a great company. I will always remember the incredible history, the beautiful views, and of course, the fragrance of those orange trees planted throughout the palace.

Have you ever visited Real Alcázar? Let me know what you thought!