Catedral de Sevilla and La Giralda

Seville Cathedral is one of the largest churches in the world and the biggest Gothic cathedral ever built. Work began in the early 15th century on the site of the city's Almohad great mosque, and the main structure was finished in the first years of the 16th century. When it was completed it overtook Hagia Sophia as the largest cathedral anywhere. Together with the Alcázar and the Archivo de Indias it forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Two parts of the mosque survive. The Patio de los Naranjos, the orange-tree courtyard where worshippers once washed before prayer, is now where visits finish. The Giralda, the former minaret begun in 1184 and modelled on the Koutoubia in Marrakech, became the cathedral's bell tower; a Renaissance belfry was added in the 16th century and the bronze weathervane known as El Giraldillo in 1568. The climb to the bell chamber uses a series of ramps rather than stairs, which were designed so that a rider could go up on horseback, and the view across the rooftops of the old town is the reward.

Inside, the scale is the first impression: the central nave rises to around 36 metres. The great Gothic altarpiece in the main chapel, begun in the 1480s and covered with carved scenes from the life of Christ, is one of the largest of its kind. The monumental tomb said to contain the remains of Christopher Columbus, carried by four figures representing the kingdoms of Spain, is the most photographed spot, and the sacristies hold paintings by Murillo, Zurbarán and Goya.

Buy tickets online to avoid the queue at the door, and allow around two hours including the Giralda climb. Shoulders and knees should be covered as this is a working cathedral, and visiting hours are shortened around services and religious holidays. Guided tours of the roofs are offered on set days with limited places and are worth booking ahead for a different view of the flying buttresses and the Giralda. The ramps are long but gentle; there is no lift.

The cathedral stands on the Avenida de la Constitución, served by the Archivo de Indias tram stop, with the Alcázar and the Santa Cruz quarter immediately to the south and east.