Forget Paris and Venice! Google has revealed that sunny SEVILLA is the most searched destination for flights right now… that’s why it’s so popular

Each week our holiday hero, Neil Simpson, delves into a great holiday theme and does all the legwork so you don’t have to. This week: short break in Seville.

Seville will compete with glitzy stars like Paris and Venice as one of the hottest urban holiday destinations of the year.

Google has revealed that the sunny Spanish city is currently the most searched flight destination, with travelers drawn to its mix of grand cathedrals, royal palaces, flamenco shows, orange groves and large sculptures.

“Sevilla is perfect for long weekends because it’s not too overwhelming, but there’s surprisingly a lot to see,” says Manuela Almagro of the Visita Sevilla website. “Most first-time visitors are short on time and come back for more.”

Seville’s first main attraction is the imposing Gothic cathedral – the largest in the world and the final resting place of Christopher Columbus.

With a host of towers and buttresses, it promises to be one of the most unusual bell towers in the world – inside the 100m tall Giralda tower there are sloping floors instead of stairs, as it was designed to let guests up horse reached. . Today, visitors can walk to a viewing platform.

Nearby, tourists can also enter a working palace at the Alcazar Real.

As the official residence of the Spanish royal family, it is the oldest continuously inhabited palace in Europe and opens up a series of ceremonial drawing rooms, some with ornate golden domes.

Above is the tomb of Christopher Columbus in Seville’s imposing Gothic cathedral

Inside Seville Cathedral’s 100m tall Giralda tower (above) there are sloping floors instead of stairs, as they were designed to allow guests to reach the top on horseback

The impressive and imposing gardens with palm trees, peacocks and reflecting pools have starred in everything from Lawrence of Arabia to Game Of Thrones.

Audio tours bring the complex to life, or join a guide for a 3-hour walking tour of the Palace and Cathedral, including the Giralda Tower, from £45 (getyourguide.com).

Open-air concerts are held in the palace in spring and summer. See “Nights in the Gardens” on visitasevilla.es for details.

As the birthplace of flamenco, dramatic dance performances are another of Seville’s nighttime attractions.

At the top, explore the Alcazar Real, an official residence of the Spanish royal family

Dramatic: Flamenco dance performances take place all over the Spanish city

A large number of theaters and “tablaos” in the city host shows, with Teatro Flamenco, Los Gallos Tablao and Tablao el Arenal being the most famous. An hour’s dance lessons at many venues start from around £55 per person.

Otherwise, visit the Royal Tobacco Factory, now part of the University of Seville, to see where Bizet found inspiration for his opera Carmen.

Modern Seville can be seen in the Setas de Sevilla or Mushrooms of Seville. The six enormous structures form the world’s largest free-standing wooden sculpture, hovering over an underground museum and occupying an entire city square.

You can take the elevator to the top and then follow the “Footpath in the Sky” to a series of viewpoints at the very top. Tickets cost from £12 per person (setasdesevilla.com).

Tasty food and shopping round off a Seville city trip. Tapas bars abound, while Triana Market is dotted with stalls selling seafood, fruit, ham and bread. Information boards here also tell the story of the Spanish Inquisition that terrorized the area in the 15th century.

Wooden wonder: the imposing mushrooms of Seville (photo), known as the largest free-standing wooden sculpture in the world

Tourists can take the elevator to the top of Seville’s Mushrooms and then follow the “footpath in the sky” (above) to a series of viewpoints

Pottery is for sale throughout Seville and it’s well worth a visit to the beautiful Ceramica Triana, a realm of colorful, locally produced ceramic tiles similar to those found on buildings across the city.

Hotels worth checking out include the H10 Casa de la Plata with a rooftop pool from £92 per night and the boutique hotel Corral del Rey in a converted 17th-century mansion from £269 per night .

Direct flights to Seville take less than three hours and cost from around £50 return with Ryanair, easyJet, British Airways and others. Trailfinders offers three-night accommodation including flights, transport and hotels from £295 per person (trailfinders.com).

Hotels worth checking out include the H10 Casa de la Plata with rooftop pool from £92 per night