Alcázar of Seville

The Real Alcázar de Sevilla, situated on Patio de Banderas in the historic centre of Seville, Andalusia, is a royal palace complex that has been in continuous use for over 1,100 years and remains an official residence of the Spanish royal family — making it the oldest royal palace still in active use in Europe. The palace as seen today is primarily the result of construction by King Pedro I (Pedro the Cruel) from 1364, who commissioned Moorish craftsmen from Granada to build in the ornate Mudéjar style; the result is a Christian palace built with Islamic aesthetics, producing some of the most intricate tilework, plasterwork, and carved wooden ceilings outside the Alhambra. The Palacio Mudéjar is the heart of the complex, entered through the Puerta de Montería into a sequence of courtyards and decorated reception rooms culminating in the Salón de los Embajadores (Hall of the Ambassadors), whose gilded half-orange dome is one of the finest examples of Mudéjar art in existence. Beyond the palace buildings, the Jardines del Alcázar extend over several hectares of formal and informal garden compartments — water channels, orange tree patios, hedge mazes, a Mercury pool, and Gothic-arched pavilions — and are largely included in the ticket price. The palace complex also contains later Gothic and Renaissance additions, including the upper floors used by the royal family during official Seville visits. An early-entry 'Exclusive Access' ticket at 8:30 AM allows visitors in before the standard opening, providing a rare near-empty experience.