Passionate processions in Spain

Britons booking a flight to Spain this Easter might want to check out one of the most popular religious events in the country in Seville between April 1st and 8th.

Holy Week, also known as Semana Santa, celebrates The Passion in a series of events that have taken place annually since the 16th century. Hundreds of thousands of people - Christian and otherwise - pack the streets of Seville to see processions beginning at midday throughout the week.

On Good Friday, a special midnight procession takes place and sees religious images being marched throughout the city in the form of more than 100 floats as crowds of spectators look on.

The 60,000 carriers of these representations wear hoods, cloaks and sandals, making this event all the more mystical in conjunction with the solemn flamenco soundtrack accompanying the procession.

Making up more than 50 brotherhoods in total, the brothers occasionally stop to act out the stations of the cross, with one of these stops giving rise to a special flamenco performance from a singer on a high-up balcony.

Visitors to Spain will find similar processions and performances elsewhere in the country, but it is perhaps in Seville where the atmosphere is most intense - and the experience most fulfilling.

• International passengers boost Orlando traffic
• BridgeClimb Sydney celebrates 10th birthday
• Top Gear to go on tour
• Travellers 'not being discouraged by credit crunch'
• Decade of Caribbean flights for Virgin Atlantic
• Canada in Lonely Planet's top 10 for 2009
• Proposals to cut European mobile charges
• New water park to open in Tenerife
• Record passengers for Leeds-Bradford Airport
• Qantas receives first A380