Real Maestranza Bullring

Whatever your view of bullfighting, the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería is one of the great buildings of Seville and a key to understanding the city's culture. It stands on the Paseo de Cristóbal Colón, beside the river, its whitewashed walls and ochre trim a landmark from every boat and every bridge. It belongs to the Real Maestranza de Caballería, an aristocratic equestrian brotherhood founded in the seventeenth century to train nobles in horsemanship, and the ring grew out of the corrals where they held their exercises. Construction began in the mid-eighteenth century and continued, in stages, for more than a hundred years, which explains the ring's famously irregular, slightly oval shape. The guided tour, about an hour long with a live guide in English or Spanish, takes you into the arena itself, onto the golden sand known as albero; past the stands, with their elegant arcades and Baroque details; to the royal box, the Palco del Príncipe, used by the royal family; and to the Puerta del Príncipe, the Prince's Gate, through which only a matador who has triumphed is carried out on the shoulders of the crowd, the highest honour in the bullfighting world. You also see the small chapel where matadors pray before a fight, and the museum, with paintings, engravings and posters spanning three centuries, costumes worn by famous matadors, the traje de luces, the suit of lights, and objects that tell the story of the great dynasties of Sevillian and Spanish toreros. The guides are good at explaining the ritual, the vocabulary and the place of the bullring in Seville's social life, including the April Fair, when the ring hosts its most prestigious series of fights.

A word of honesty: bullfighting is controversial, in Spain as elsewhere, and many visitors will not want to attend a corrida. The tour is a way to see the architecture and understand the tradition without seeing an animal harmed; no bulls are involved. The bullfighting season in Seville runs broadly from Easter through the early autumn, with the April Fair at its height; on days when there is a fight, tours may end early or be suspended, so check the date when you book. The linked Tiqets page sells the guided tour, which lasts about an hour, with groups of a moderate size and free cancellation on most dates.

What to look for: the Baroque façade of the Puerta del Príncipe, facing the river; the arcaded upper stands, which give the ring its harmonious look; the posters in the museum, a fascinating record of graphic design over two centuries; and the views from the stands toward the Giralda. If you are interested in the art history, the museum includes works inspired by the bullfight from several centuries, and the costumes are remarkable pieces of embroidery. The chapel, small and quiet, is one of the most moving moments of the tour.

Getting there and combining: the bullring is on the riverfront, five minutes on foot from the Cathedral and the Torre del Oro, and directly across the river from Triana. It fits neatly into a riverside afternoon: the Maestranza tour, a walk south to the Torre del Oro and a river cruise, then across the Triana Bridge for tapas on the Calle Betis at sunset. Families with older children often find the tour interesting; with younger ones, consider whether the subject is suitable. The streets around the bullring, in the Arenal, are full of traditional bars decorated with bullfighting photographs and mounted heads, a world of its own.