Seville · Spain

Torre del Oro

HistoricMuseum photo spotgoogle verified

~20 min

easy

7/10

historic, scenic, riverside

A local would say...

This golden tower was once Seville's vault — all the gold plundered from the Americas was stored here before being distributed to the Spanish crown.

This 13th-century Almohad watchtower by the Guadalquivir river supposedly had a dome covered in golden tiles that gave it its name — Tower of Gold. Built as part of Seville's defensive circuit, it once served to close the river to unauthorized ships with a chain stretched to an opposite bank. The tower was also used to store the colonial treasures brought back by conquistadors from Mexico and Peru, and today houses a small maritime museum with rooftop views over the river.