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LOCATIONS > SPAIN > SEVILLA
ABOUT
SEVILLA
 Seville
is probably Spain’s most iconic city. With over 700,000
inhabitants, it's the most important city in Andalucía
and both the capital of the province of the same name
and the seat of regional government of the Autonomous Andalucía
Community.
The city played an important role in the
discovery, conquest and commerce between Spain and the
American continent thanks to its location on the plains
of the Guadalquivir River, which can be navigated all
the way to its mouth into the Atlantic coast.
 Founded
around 200 B.C. by the Romans, they made the region the
center of their Western Mediterranean dominions for
seven centuries. Heritage of this period is still
visible in the nearby ruins of Italica.
From 711 A.D. to 1248 A.D., the Moorish
left indelible traces in Seville and the region; la
Giralda, the tower of an important mosque, is the most
well-known icon of the remaining Islamic monuments.
In the 18th century, Seville was the
birthplace of important painters such as Velázquez,
Murillo and Valdés Leal; and sculptors like Martínez
Montañés. In literature, Seville was the birthplace of
the myth of Don Juan.
 In
recent history, Seville has been in the center of the
world's attention twice: first in 1929 when it hosted
the Latin American Exhibition and for the second time in
1992, when it hosted Expo92, the world exposition. Both
events left important urban improvements in the city,
molding it as a modern and dynamic city that is also
full of history.
Seville is the birthplace of Spanish
tapas. Tapas are starters in virtually all flavors and
forms which often end up being a full meal. And with
more than a thousand bars and restaurants, the choice of
food in Seville is unlimited, from seafood to ham and
sausages and from vegetables to cheese.
 Nearby,
four important wine regions can be found, Jerez being
the most important one (or best known) and the home to
the sweet wine known as Sherry.
Seville claims to be birthplace of the
typical Spanish Flamenco dance, although Jerez claims
the same. Anyway, if you want to see the true flamenco
at a tablao, bar or on a street corner, Seville is the
place to go.
With
over 300 days of sunshine and a mild winter, Seville is
also a place to find good weather (almost) all year
round. “Almost” because August can get extremely hot :-(
And of course, as in any Spanish city,
locals are specialists in celebrating local "Fiestas"...
ABOUT AZNALCAZAR, MATALASCAÑAS
AND DOÑANA NATIONAL PARK
AZNALCÁZAR
 The
Anders Languages® residence
is located in the town of Aznalcázar, only 20 minutes
away from Seville, and is one of the 13 towns located in
the Doñana, one of Spain’s most important national parks
and wildlife reserves.
As most Spanish towns, Aznalcázar has an active social
and cultural life, with several bars & restaurants,
annual “fiestas”, two supermarkets and 3 banks. It’s
also home to Las Minas golf course.
The history of our town goes back as early as the 1st
century BC, when it was supposed to be an Iberian
settlement named Olontigi.
Public transportation connects Aznalcázar with Seville,
as well as nearby towns and landmarks such as El Rocío.
DOÑANA NATIONAL PARK
 Aznalcázar is located inside the
Doñana National Park and Wildlife Refuge, since 1994 a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Doñana covers 543 km²
(337.41 mi²), of which 135 km² (83.89 mi²) are protected.
Most of the park can be visited freely using the
mountain bikes available at the residence, while 2
guided visits are offered daily for those willing to
visit the protected areas.
MATALASCAÑAS
 For those who enjoy relaxing at the beach during the
weekend, the coastal town of Matalascañas is located at
about a 40-minute drive from Aznalcázar. Besides the
beach you can also walk in the dunes and the virgin
beaches of the Doñana.
HOW TO GET HERE?
By plane: several
European cities are directly connected with Seville
through national and low-cost airlines. Most American
and Asian airlines offer good connections to Seville via
a stopover in Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Brussels,
Frankfurt and several other European capitals.
By train: In 2 ½
hours, you can get from Madrid to Seville on the AVE
bullet train.
By car: from
Madrid using the E-5 highway and from the Spanish
Mediterranean coast, using the E-15 highway.
Once in Seville, our driver
can pick you up at the Seville airport or railway
station and drive you to the residence.
ABOUT SPAIN
 With 57 million visitors per year, Spain is the
second most visited country in the world. And there is a reason for that:
more than 4,000 km of coastline, the highest mountains (after the Alps),
and hundreds of natural parks. More than 40 World Heritage Sites around
the country... A rich history, reflected in the architecture of its
cities.
And Spain is also the birthplace of the Spanish
language and of what we now know as Latin America. And who could neglect
the great Spanish gastronomy?
Although there are no real official figures, it is
estimated that over 50,000 people visit Spain for Spanish language study.
This is an impressive figure, quite above the second destination for
Spanish study: Mexico.
YOUR WEEKEND
If you feel like it, you can register for extra language classes on
Saturday morning or play golf at
one of the 3 golf courses in the region.
Additionally Seville and its surroundings offer plenty of attractions to
explore: Ronda, Granada and the Alhambra Palace, Cordoba
and the Mezquita, Jerez, Cádiz,...
Also,
Cáceres, Guadalupe,
Trujillo, Mérida, Faro (Portugal) and other important towns and cities
are not so far away, but we recommend staying at least
one night at a hotel in the city you visit...
Anders
Languages does not organize these excursions for you,
but can help you organize your trip or get you in touch
with our partner travel agency.
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WHAT THEY SAY...
