The Alcazar in Seville

Beyond its orange tree-lined streets and searingly hot summers, there's enough flamenco and fiestas going on here to fulfill all your Spanish fantasies.

The city has Spain's highest unemployment rate, and the laid-back locals who lounge about in squares on balmy evenings - talking, laughing, dancing and singing - are always up for a party.

Seville is capital of the region of Andalucia and the physical centre of Moorish Spain (the country was under Moorish control for almost 700 years). Seville's Muslim influence is evident in buildings such as the ornate Alcazar and the city's imposing cathedral - the world's largest - built on the site of a 12th century mosque.

The former Jewish quarter, the Barrio de Santa Cruz, is the city's medieval jewel, an atmospheric maze of narrow streets with flower-filled courtyards, quaint tapas bars and charming budget pensiones. Getting lost in its streets is all part of losing yourself in the romance of Seville.