Athens or Seville
 

Hi all

My husband and I are debating where to go next year for a city break. We both like art, architecture, local culture, history and good food. We like to sightsee in the morning, relax a bit or sightsee more in the afternoon and have food and wine then take in a local show, concert or event. We are not big clubbers and wont be dancing all night! After extensive research we have come to stalemate so now im after some subjective opinions. If it was you, would you pick Athens or Seville and why?

I loved Seville. Been a couple of times and happy to go back. Lots to see and do. Always something interesting. Good food as well. Just a wonderful feel to it.

Athens. Apart from a couple of special sites, not that much of interest to me. I just didn't get the vibe.

Seville, Seville, Seville!!!! Wonderful city, easy to stroll around, very beautiful. Food can't be beat. We fell head over heels in love with the city and could easily imagine living there. It's got lots to see and do - the Moorish architecture is gorgeous, and you can find flamenco music/dance in many different venues. It's a perfect place for a city break.

Athens has a lot to offer culturally, but is not a particularly pleasant city and is not a city that's easy to stroll. It certainly has great ancient history and architecture, but it's not a place I'd go out of my way to visit. I appreciated it as part of a longer trip to Greece, but didn't love it. And we are city folk!

Seville for me too but Seville is small compared to Athens...but there are some great easy day trips like to Cordoba and its ancient cathedral once a Moorish mosque - just a short train ride away. And Jerez-de-la-Frontera for sherry tours is not far either. Anyway for lots on trains check Renfe - BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

Seville is fantastic (so colorful and dramatic!) during the Feria in April (Semana Santa 2019 Sun Apr 14 - Sat Apr 20), so if you can go then you won't be disappointed.

I loved Athens – but I agree that Seville (which I also loved) seems a better fit for your interests. There’s certainly a lot of art, architect, and history in Athens, but I think the diversity of genres and styles and ages is greater in Seville. And while I ate very well in each city, I thought it easier to find really good food in Seville. JMO. I don’t think either would be a bad choice. And FWIW, I found more than enough to do in each city to keep me happily (even exhaustingly) busy for 4 days each, although there are (of course) day trips one can take from either if you want.

Well need to know who long you are going for. If just a few days Athens would be fine too but for longer the Seville area has much more in a compact area.

Seville it is
 

Thanks all, it's looking like it's Seville, my first choice 👌😊 I'd love to go to Athens too, but will prioritise Seville. I've just come back from Madrid and if it's half as nice as that, I'll love it.

Palenq - we are not certain yet but it will be mini-break length rather than a full week or longer. My husband would prefer 4 nights, id prefer 3. It will depend on flights

Most here find Seville to be nicer than Madrid!

But if you've been to Spain why not try Greece?

Athens and Madrid are both large world capital cities but that's about it for comparisons IMO.

Athens is a modern city with the new Athens just a few centuries old really - it IMO lacks the old-world charm found in various parts of Madrid, though Madrid is also very modern overall at least compared to Seville.

You will love Seville and especially the joie de vivrfe found in its Flamenco pubs!

PalenQ makes sense! Why not go to a different country this time? I don't know anyone who has been to Athens that stayed in the city the whole time either. You can even take day trips to nearby islands in the Saronic Gulf (e.g. Aegina or Hydra), and day trips or easy overnights to UNESCO world heritage sites like Delphi and Epidaurus. I know that's stretching the definition of "city break" a bit, but it's very easy to do from Athens.

Heimdall and Palenq you are very right, it would be better to try another country. I've never been to Greece at all. But I have a weird little OCD streak whereby I become obsessed with a country. For 5 years it' been Italy - Rome 3 times, soon to be 4, Milan and the Cilento region. Now it seems to be Spain! I just generally go with it and when my appetite for Spain is sated, I hope Greece will be my next obsession (although Denmark is niggling away in the back of my head, particularly Skagen)

Lamorna, good thing you didn't go to Greece first, or you may not have ever made it to Spain. :)

We loved Seville. Not so much Athens.

In Seville, we had a fantastic little apartment we found through SpainSelect, which is now called HomeClub. https://www.homeclub.com/properties?location=sevilla

I don't see the apartment we had listed anymore. I think the owner manages it himself now. I could find it, if you want.

Mobro - if it' not too much trouble, that would be great. Thank you:-)

Yes, I'm happy to help, Lamorna.
We just loved Seville. We were there in late October, a couple of years ago.
Before I forget, we loved these restaurants in Seville: El Pinton and San Marco. Both easily walkable from our apartment.
We also were glad we went to the tiny Flamenco Museum to see an authentic dance performance. (Buy tickets in advance because it sells out regularly.)

We stayed at Casa Palacio San Jose, Calle de San Jose 7, 41004 Seville Spain
It is a gorgeous estate, divided into rental apartments (some are owner-occupied, as well, I think):
http://www.sevillasanjose.com/

This is San Jose V, the two-bedroom one we rented:
https://www.homeathomes.com/eng/Casa...e-V/en/Sevilla

When we rented it, Spain Select managed it. They were very good.

The apartment and public spaces are so clean at the Casa Palacio, I was literally amazed. I'm a neat-freak myself, but I'd never seen such beautiful & sparkling clean tiles in the courtyard, the stairwell, and in our apartment. It was absolutely delightful. The overall architecture, and courtyard entry are beautiful.

San Jose V on airbnb:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/21799442

Google search results:
https://www.google.com/search?q=San+...viewerState=ga

YouTube video in Spanish:

On Trip Advisor:
Casa Palacio San Jose

https://www.booking.com/hotel/es/cas...-san-jose.html

Fodorite Maitaitom shared his photo essays, and hopefully he'll be fine with me sharing them here. Gorgeous pictures and funny narrative:
https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...on-to-sevilla/
https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...death-marches/
https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...teamy-sevilla/

YouTube video in Spanish, didn't seem to post:
Note that some pictures are of the common spaces, like the entry courtyard and the rooftop balcony areas. Although some apartments have their own balconies, ours did not.
We liked that all our doors and windows opened onto the private courtyard, so we felt safe leaving windows open at night. There are also interior shutters to block sound and light, and bars on the outside of the windows for security.

MoBro thank you so much, that looks beautiful!

My pleasure. I wish I was returning to that apartment in Seville!

Let's do a poll that asks; If you could only visit one of Greece or Spain for the rest of your life, and never go the other, which would you choose?

Although I live in Athens -and totally love it- I'll have to pick Seville as well. It's been years since I immersed myself in that vibrant city... Great food, compelling attractions (Royal Alcázar Gardens <3), beautiful neighborhoods, lovely markets... The best thing about Seville is that it is the gateway to explore the whole Andalusian region!!!