Sevilla versus Barcelona

Didn't see any posts on this topic in the past few years, and seeing as my wife and I are hoping to head back to Spain in the fall, I thought I'd get a feel for the current sentiment on the MM boards.

The scenario: My wife and I are planning a short trip to Spain from the US in late-Sept/early-Oct this year (maybe 5 or 6 days), and we're trying to decide on a destination in Spain. She has never been to Sevilla, but fell in love with Barcelona on her last visit. I have never been to Barcelona, but fell in love with Sevilla during my first trip to Spain in spring '01.

We want this to be a fairly relaxing trip, so we're resigned to spending the whole time in just one or the other, and taking time to relax and explore the city. Any thoughts/votes/preferences?

Also, are there any newer developments, must-see places, etc. that we should weigh into our decision? (It's been about 5 years since either of us has been in Spain).

Thanks for your thoughts/opinions.

In my opinion Sevilla is the most beautyful city in Spain. Barcelona is much bigger, richer, modern and cosmopolitan than Seville.

It's not easy to make a decission, but I consider Seville more romantic and more tipically Spanish.

If you go to Seville, 3 days will be enough time to visit the city. Then you could go to Córdoba and Cádiz, wich is regarded as the most ancient city still standing in western Europe (founded by Phoenicians about 1100 BC).
Oh! Don't forget to visit the Sherry Cellers.

I been to both and stayed over a week in both places. Sevilla was to me a more relaxing and slower pace than Barcelona.

But I did full in love with Barcelona, especially it architecture. I think it is the best city in Spain to walk around in. I can remember with a big smile on my face, each morning I had to deicide where to have my coffee. At the local cafe? At the market La Boqueria? Down at the beach? Up in the mountains?

I did them all!

Bill


Bill

i tend to agree to me Sevilla beats Barcelona any day; not to say Barcelona is that bad;just comparing it with Sevilla.

stay around barrio santa cruz or Triana and there is nothing like that in Barcelona. Then if you like more modernistic outlook on cities Barcelona architecture will astound you,especially the l'exeimple quarter near Passeig de Graçia.

I'm not a huge fan of Samantha Brown, but her "Passport to Europe" show is very popular and she does go to some wonderful places. On tonight's episode she will be in Sevilla, so maybe that will help with your decision!

You can catch her show tonight on the Travel Channel at 8:30 and 11:30 ET.

I took some pictures last Semana Santa in Sevilla. May be they will help you to decide.

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SpecialFX & wife aren't going to Spain during Semana Santa: they're going to be there late Sep to early Oct.

I've spent time in both cities. Sevilla is nice but if I must choose, I vote for Barcelona, like favorite sons Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Antonio Gaudi. Barcelona is a 'World Class' City; Sevilla, with its Mozarabe roots, is a beautiful City, but I don't think it's in the same League as Barcelona.

Since you're staying almost a week, I would recommend Barcelona because there is quite a bit more to see. Sevilla would be great to fit in a trip where you see all of Andalusia, and Barcelona is a bit more isolated.

I like and admire Barcelona, an elegant and stylish city full of treasures. It is ,though, Seville with which I fell in love and which calls me back time after time. In the first I am happy to be doing things. In the enchanted surroundings of the second I am happy just to be.

Have spent quite a bit of time in both cities - and, like an earlier poster said, Barcelona is more modern and cosmopolitan than most cities - beautiful architecture and all else.

But for me, Sevilla wins. Sevilla feels far more "Spanish" and staying there will allow you to explore a bit more. Walking with history - romance - sheer artistic joy - Sevilla -

Part of your decision has got to be where your interests lie - if one of you is an architect - Gaudi will win. If one of you is a fashion conscious to-or-die shopper - again, Barcelona would be the choice.

And to whomever mentioned Cadiz -

No additional comment from SpecialFX on this topic??? FYI: SpecialFX is just now returning after a 6-year layoff from our message board. Wow! Welcome back!

There's really no comparing these two great cities because they're both totally distinctive unto themselves. Both have such wonderful things the other doesn't have.

I think if Martians came to earth tomorrow and visited both Seville and Barcelona they'd be equally impressed by each city.

Just remember, BARCELONA IS NOT SPAIN and SPAIN IS NOT BARCELONA. So if your hope it to visit "Real Spain" then Seville, in my opinion, should probably be your destination. If Barcelona was located in Idaho, USA or in China or in Australia or on the Fiji Islands it would be spectacular because it's an incredibly elegant, vibrant, architecturally eye-popping city. But I think a lot of people who come to Spain only visit Barcelona and think, "Wow! Spain is really incredible!" when the rest of Spain is NOTHING like Barcelona. That's not to say the rest of Spain is NOT incredible BECAUSE IT IS but it's totally distinctive to that which you find in Barcelona. Barcelona and Catalunya really could be a country or planet unto themselves, totally isolated and evolving within no-pass walls.

Seville, to me, more accurately represents "Real Spain" since Spain's moorish ancestors were from/lived-in/entered through Andalucía. Much of Spain's culture and history is linked to or based on Andalucía's culture.

Similar arguments can be made for the age-old rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona; "Which is better"? The answer is clear - at least to me. NEITHER is better and NEITHER is worse. They're totally, completely different and one cannot hold a candle to the other because they're like two planets in the same solar system.

My 2-euro cents on a Saturday morning.

Saludos, MadridMan

I was just looking around the New York Times web site when I noticed this slide show on Sevilla. It has a few nice photographs of the city and different attractions there. And, you can click here for an article entitled "36 Hours in Seville." It'd be a tough choice between Barcelona and Sevilla, but after seeing those photos I'm ready to go back to Sevilla!

Only 7 months later the New York Times has yet another article about Sevilla! I think this will be in the Sunday edition of the New York Times (30 March), but in the meantime you can read the online version of "Under Andalusian Skies" here in their Travel Spring 2008 magazine. There are some great black-and-white photos accompanying the article. They're fashion photos, but they show some nice views of the city.

I just thought I'd update you to let you know that the article is indeed in today's (30 March) New York Times. It's in the Style Magazine included with the newspaper. I picked one up this morning at the local Starbucks to read while drinking my coffee so I can pretend I am in sunny, warm Spain drinking a nice café con leche.