Certainly, few who spend some time in Spain's great southern city come away indifferent, despite being the country's fourth largest city - with a population of 720,000 - Seville manages to feel manageable and laid-back, its captivating old town, pedestrianised streets and rich Moorish past amounting to a seductive proposition It’s easy to wile away spare time in Seville: as the regio

It's easy to wile away spare time in Seville: as the regional capital of Andalusia, sights are plentiful and the city is a delight to explore on foot, though the searing heat of the summer months makes a siesta a wise pastime.

Home to most of the sights, is Barrio Santa Cruz, a former Jewish ghetto, where every street comes with its own romantic legend.

Even in high summer, when the sun penetrates every other corner of the city, this area offers some respite - the tall whitewashed buildings throw long shadows across the tiny streets, filtering out the sun. If the heat permits, mid afternoon, during siesta-time, can be an especially rewarding time to wander, the streets empty apart from some ally cats and a few tour groups.

The best plan when touring the Barrio Santa Cruz is really not to have one: chances are the labyrinthine streets will make a mockery of your sense of direction anyway. Put the map away and wander randomly, stopping for some tapas in one of the numerous bars, or loitering in a shady patio.

Deep in the heart of the Barrio Santa Cruz there are a few buildings not to miss, however: notably the Hospital de los Venarables, containing Sevillian works of art, and the striking mansions of the Calle Lope de Rueda.

It's likely you'll emerge, blinking, from the old town to the central square housing Seville's cathedral - a vast, imposing structure and possibly the largest gothic building in the world.

Taking over a century to finish, it was built after a group of religious fanatics decided to construct a church so wonderful that 'those who come after us will take us for madmen'. The cavernous interior, pleasantly cool in the summer, contains 44 chapels, painstakingly carved altarpieces, and, so it's claimed, the remains of Christopher Columbus.

If that sounds too much like hard work perhaps it's best to follow the lead of the Sevillianos: find a spare bench and relax while the life of the river, with its volleyball players and rowers, passes you by.

Seville's Moorish legacy can be sampled at a seventh-century palace-fortress seemingly tailor-made for the operas of Carmen or Figaro.