The Headless Horseman in Seville

You have made two new acquaintances in an online ghost hunter forum. They have found an old journal and are trying to solve the mysterious disappearance of its owner. Teacher Ichabod Crane’s two-hundred-year-old notes contain descriptions of a headless horseman and what seems to be a curse plaguing Seville. Maybe the journal offers the clues needed to find out what happened to Ichabod?

You are invited to join an investigation, which starts by Plaza Nueva. Your new friends have mapped out the locations of relevance in Ichabod’s life, and you plan to follow all the leads the journal provides. But, one of the people you were supposed to meet never shows up at the agreed location…

Go on a ghost tour and solve a mystery

Walk in Ichabod Crane’s footsteps through the Old Town area of Seville. Participate in the story in each location through gamification. Control conversations between characters, examine mysterious items and crack secret codes while you explore the city’s historical surroundings. Your companion will tell you everything he knows about the journal and the Headless Horseman as you walk.

Will you be able to reveal why Ichabod disappeared, and find your friend?

The StoryTourist app will show you the way

To walk this tour, you’ll download the user-friendly StoryTourist app. The app is equipped with a map, GPS, a narrator and digital guide which makes sure you walk in the right direction. Once you have purchased the tour it is yours to keep. You can use it at any time and as many times as you wish.

Through the StoryTourist-app, you’ll hear the story of how the Headless Horseman haunted Seville. The only thing you need to be able to explore the city in a brand-new way is a smartphone with headphones.

This self-guided city exploration game is an adaptation of Washington Irving’s short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. You will find practical information about the tour under the “instructions” tab.

How this tour works:

Your smartphone is your guide on this tour! Once you have purchased a tour, this is what you do:

Download the StoryTourist app from Apple App Store or Google Play, while connected to Wi-Fi.
Log into the app using the same email address you filled in when purchasing the tour. You will create your password the first time you log into the app. The tour you have purchased will be ready to download in the tour library once you have logged in. Make sure you are still connected to Wi-Fi while downloading the tour.
Go to the starting point of the tour, open the app, put your headphones on and head out on your StoryTour adventure!

Important information:

This is a location based experience. You have to be at the tour starting point at Plaza Nueva in Seville, Spain, to start this walking tour.
The tour ends at Plaza de la Alfalfa.
Once the tour is downloaded to your phone, you can use it offline.
There is a map, GPS and a digital guide in the app, making sure that you’ll walk the right way.
This tour is available in English.
Once you have purchased the tour, it is your to keep. You can use it whenever you want and as many times as you would like. You can start, pause and end the tour whenever you would like.
This tour is pet friendly – feel free to bring your dog on this walk!
Public transport is available close to both the tour start point and end point.
This tour is not accessible with a wheelchair due to stairs.
We recommend participants to be 15 years old or over, due to the dark theme of the tour.

What to bring:

Your smartphone, with the StoryTourist app and the tour you purchased already downloaded.
Headphones, for the best possible listening experience
Make sure that your smartphone battery is fully charged. If you know that your phone has poor battery capacity, it can be a good idea to bring a powerbank as well.

Plaza Nueva statue

You are now in the Plaza Nueva square. The man on horseback is King Ferdinand III, who reigned over this area in the early 1200’s. Ferdinand was canonised in 1671 by Pope Clement X.

Ichabod's home

This alley, which translates to “Pheasants alley”, was used to store coffins for the prisoners that were about to be executed at the San Francisco plaza during the inquisition.

Ichabod's school

You are in the Casco Antiguo district, the Old Town area of Seville. Across the street you can see Seville’s oldest restaurant; Antigua Taberna de Las Escobas, founded in 1386.

Patio de Banderas

You are now inside the Alcázar palace walls. The palace dates back to the 10th century, and this courtyard is where the horses and carriages visiting the palace arrived.

Plaza de la Alianza

Plaza de la Alianza was named after an important historic event; when the alliance treaty between the catholic monarchs and the Sevillian nobles was signed in 1491.

Washington Irving plaque

Washington Irving, who wrote The Legend of Sleepy Hollow about Ichabod Crane’s encounter with the Headless Horseman, came to Seville in the 1820’s and lived in this building for a year.

The Altamira Palace

The Altamira palace was built in the 15th century by nobleman Diego López de Zúñiga. It was home for noble families for hundreds of years, and was extensively rehabilitated in the 1990’s.

Roman columns

These three columns are believed to have been part of a Roman temple, dating back to when Seville was under Roman rule and known as Hispalis, about 2000 years ago.

San Isidoro Church

The San Isidoro church is placed on one of the highest locations in Seville, where archeologists have found evidence of early settlements. The church was built in the 14:th century.

King Pedro I bust

Look up to see a bust of King Pedro I. It’s said it was placed there after the king killed a knight in a duel, and the knight’s family demanded the killer’s head to be mounted on the wall.

Plaza de la Alfalfa

This area was home to the forum in Roman times, and Plaza de la Alfalfa itself hosted a silk market during the Moorish period, and then a series of food markets until the 1850s.