Seville, the capital of Andalusia, is the fourth largest city in Spain in terms of population. There are 704,114 inhabitants in the metropolitan

area. The total population of the capital and the 105 towns in the province is 1,758,720 inhabitants spread out over a 14,042 square kilometer area. Seville can be considered, without a doubt, the artistic, cultural, financial, economic and social center of the south of Spain.

It is well connected to the other main cities in Spain, especially to Madrid, by means of the AVE High Speed Train. Seville is 538 kilometers from Madrid.  As for the other venues, it is 256 kilometers from Granada, 609 kilometers from Alicante and 931 kilometers from Palma de Mallorca.

Thanks to the Guadalquivir River, Seville also has access to the sea. The closest beaches to the city are in Huelva and Cadiz, which are a mere 100 kilometers away.

Although spring is the best season for extraordinary weather in Seville, the month of September also guarantees excellent prospects for all the spectators coming to see EuroBasket, with high temperatures during the day and very pleasant nights.

At least that’s what the statistics say: the average annual temperature is 18.6 degrees Celsius, with a maximum average of 25.1 degrees, and a minimum average of 12.1 degrees.

The difference between the average temperatures in September is 14 degrees: the average high is 31.8 degrees and the average low is 17.3 degrees.

It usually only rains two days in the month of September, and the average humidity registered for the month is very low at 57%.

The origin of the ancient Roman Hispalis is obscure and uncertain.  Supposedly, it began as a Tarshish village, named Ispal, founded in the 7th century B.C. on a small land elevation on the shore of the Guadalquivir River. After the Punic Wars, Hispalis became an important center of trade and was also the capital of the ancient Roman Baetica. In the year 712, the town was conquered by the Arabs, who called it Isbiliya, from where its present name is derived.  During that period, Seville experienced a great emergence of science, art, and trade.

On November 23, 1248, after a long siege, the city fell into the hands of King Ferdinand III of Castille, becoming the seat of his Court.  The discovery of America resulted in an unusual splendor for Seville, driven by the presence of the river and the port activity.  In the 20th century, thanks to the Iberoamerican Expo in 1929 and the World´s Fair of 1992, Seville regained much of its ancient glory, thus becoming a modern, world-class city.

Seville, with a rich heritage of the ancient and distinct cultures that were founded on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, preserves and protects the architectural monuments that have made it famous all over the world.  A city both brilliant and proud, it keeps for itself the secrets of the mystery that romantic writers attempted to describe in mythical works like Carmen, the Barber of Seville or Don Juan, among others.

However, the Seville of today shows us a blend of the values of its past heritage and the modernity of its present reality.  It is a union that maintains all its historic character, while at the same time providing contemporary infrastructures that make it a first class tourist destination, not only for the individual tourist but also for visitors to conventions, conferences or sales incentives.

In Seville the historic heritage is fruit of the past, of the different civilizations that took root in the city.  Made up of buildings of both civil and religious architecture, the layout of Seville includes the largest historic city center in Europe.  The Iberoamerican Expo of 1929 and the World’s Fair of 1992 increased the artistic heritage and contributed to the demographic and territorial growth. 

The Cathedral and the Giralda Tower are the two monuments known the world over from this renowned Andalusian city.

The major city festivals that are most internationally known are Holy Week and the Feria de Abril (April Fair).  The festive and cultural nature of these celebrations provides them with an ambience that makes them welcoming and accessible to all those who decide to participate, always accompanied by the pleasant climate of spring in Seville.

By rail
Since 1992, Seville enjoys the most modern of railroad stations, Santa Justa, as well as two important additional stops, San Bernardo and Virgen del Rocio.  The high-speed train, known as the AVE, arrives at the Santa Justa station, making it possible to reach  Seville from Madrid in only 2 hours, 30 minutes.  There are also local trains, such as the Talgo, the Andalusian Express, and the TRD that conveniently connect Seville

		San Pablo Airport

to other parts of Andalusia and the rest of Spain.

By air
Seville has a new terminal in the San Pablo Airport which is capable of handling up to  4,000 passengers per hour.  It includes two floors or levels, one for departures and the other for arrivals, although initially it was planned for national flights on one level and international flights on the other.  It is situated ten kilometers to the northeast of Seville and was renovated in 1992 for the World´s Fair.  Improvements included the construction of a new terminal, an increase in the parking area for aircraft and the creation a new access from the national highway, the N-IV, as well as the construction of a new control tower.  In 2005 the airport handled 3,521,112 passengers, 55,423 operations and 6,352 tons of cargo.
 
By ship
The Port of Seville is the only accessible inland port of the entire Iberian Peninsula, given that the Gualdalquivir River is navigable up to that point.  Although the primary use of the port is not related to tourism or maritime travel, the occasional ship carrying visitors to the city can be seen now and again.

2006 

XXII City of Seville Marathon
Formula 1 Road Show of Fernando Alonso
The Open Water Swimming World Cup
Seville 2006: World Sports Games
Edition XII: FISA Team Cup and International Regatta of Seville
II International Martial Arts Convention
Spanish Women’s Cup and Andalusia Cycling Championship
XIV International Rowing Trophy of the City of Seville
His Majesty the King’s Jet Ski Cup
Open Category Rowing National Championship
European Powerboat Championship
Edition XLIV Seville Challenger Cup International
XLI Gualdalquivir Sailboat Race

2005

I City of Seville Figure Skating Trophy
International Men’s Rugby Trophy
XI FISA Team Cup and Andalusia International Rowing Regatta
XXXVI Spanish Canoeing Championship
International Rugby Championship: Spain vs. Croatia
National Show Jumping Competition
National High School American Football Final
European Open Water Swimming Cup
Spanish Beach Volleyball Championship
Spanish Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championship
Edition XLIII Seville Andalusia International Challenger Cup
International Regatta: Oxford/Cambridge vs. Seville/Betis
European Regional Rugby Cup
IV Andalusia International Women’s Tennis Championship III

2004

His Majesty the King’s Basketball Cup
XVII His Majesty the King’s Rowing Cup
PGA European Circuit: Seville Golf Open
World Billiards Cup
Edition VI Opel Paddle Ball Tour
Spanish Women’s Cycling Cup
European Open Water Swimming Cup
Spanish Underwater Hockey Championship
Edition XLII Seville International Andalusia Challenger Cup
V National Special Olympics Games
Spanish Men’s Indoor Soccer Super Cup
World Golf Cup
Davis Cup Final

More information about the city at www.turismo.sevilla.org