Seville

One of the first people to fall in love with Seville was the poet-king Al-Mutamid, and the city's ability to dazzle has not abated since. It takes a stony heart not to be captivated by its exuberant atmosphere - stylish, confident, ancient, proud, yet also convivial, intimate and fun-loving.

Its crowded centre unfolds subtly as you wind your way through narrow streets and small squares. Its flamenco, bullfighting and nightlife are incomparable. But above all, Seville is an atmosphere. Being out among its happy, celebratory crowds on a warm night is an unforgettable experience.

A great city in Muslim times and again in the 16th and 17th centuries, Seville has seen bad times too, so it knows how to enjoy the good ones when they come. Every April for more than a century, Seville has thrown one of Spain's biggest parties, the Feria de Abril. A couple of weeks before the feria, the city's Semana Santa (Holy Week) processions are among the most magnificent in Spain. To put it in one Spanish word, the city has alegría; Sevillans certainly know how to enjoy life!