Sometimes a city becomes famous simply for its beauty and romantic aura. Seville (Sevilla in Spanish), the capital of Andalusia, is such a place. Despite its sultry summer heat and problems such as high unemployment and street crime, it remains one of Spain's most charming cities. If you're only going to see a few Spanish cities in your lifetime, make one of them Seville.

All the images associated with Andalusia -- orange trees, mantillas, lovesick toreros, flower-filled patios, and castanet-rattling gypsies -- come alive in Seville. But this is no mere tourist city; it's also a substantial river port, and it possesses some of the most important artistic works and architectural monuments in Spain.

Unlike other Spanish cities, Seville fared rather well under most of its conquerors -- the Romans, Arabs, and Christians. Rulers from Pedro the Cruel to Ferdinand and Isabella held court here. When Spain entered its 16th-century golden age, Seville funneled gold from the New World into the rest of the country, and Columbus docked here after his journey to America.