Setas de Sevilla (Metropol Parasol)

The Metropol Parasol, which everyone in Seville calls Las Setas, or the mushrooms, is the city's boldest piece of modern architecture. Designed by the German architect Jürgen Mayer H. and completed in 2011, it covers the Plaza de la Encarnación with six huge waffle-like parasols made of laminated timber. The structure measures about 150 by 70 metres and stands roughly 26 metres high, and it is often promoted as the largest wooden structure in the world.

It was built to solve a long-running problem. The square had been a building site for years after Roman remains were found during work on a car park, and the parasol was the answer: a public space and market that would protect and display the archaeology. Today there are several levels. Below ground, the Antiquarium shows the excavated Roman and Moorish remains, including house foundations and mosaics. At street level is the Mercado de la Encarnación, the neighbourhood food market, and above it a raised plaza used for events.

For most visitors the main attraction is the walkway along the top. A lift takes you up to a series of terraces and curving paths that wind across the parasols, giving 360-degree views over the rooftops and church towers of the old town to the Cathedral and the Giralda. The ticket also includes a short film about the city, and from spring to autumn a light show runs on the roof after dark. The visit takes about an hour to an hour and a half.

Sunset and evening are the most popular times, when the heat has eased and the city lights come on, so book a timed ticket online for those slots. The viewpoint stays open late, with last entry well before closing, and a combined ticket with a flamenco show is also sold. The walkways are mostly gently sloping and reached by lift, so they are manageable for most people, although they can be exposed on hot afternoons.

Las Setas sits between the Cathedral area and the Macarena district, about ten minutes on foot north of the Plaza del Salvador. The surrounding streets, including Calle Regina and Calle Feria, are full of tapas bars, and the Alameda de Hércules is a short walk further north.