A visit to the sights of Cordoba

On the banks of the Guadalquivir and at the foot of the Sierra Morena is one of the most charming cities of Andalusia. Visit its streets populated with monuments that constantly remind you of the rich culture of this land.

Capital of the Hispania Ulterior and Betis province in the time of the Roman Empire and Caliphate of Cordoba during the Muslim period, the city of Cordoba is a genuine cultural melting pot where today you can visit libraries, bathrooms, street markets and of course, the mosque and synagogue best preserved and most beautiful in Spain.

Crossing the Roman bridge which links the Barrios de Campo de la Verdad and Barrio de la Catedral, we see the beautiful town of Guadalquivir at the footsteps of the beautiful Historic Centre of the city.

The City of Cordoba is very devoted to St. Rafael the Archangel, which is why we can find numerous sculptures in his honour around the city. These sculptures are commonly known as the triumph and each one is more beautiful. We can find one of the best representations on the Roman Bridge.

Bridge Gate formerly known as Algeciras Gate, welcomes the other riverbank offering us an open space where we can learn about the history of Cordoba.

To have an overview of the city, you should do the bus tour with a guide who will help you to understand the city.

Wine is part of the culture of the city, so you should make a stop at Casa del Pedro Ximénez, a place dedicated to the cultivation of its famous wine where you can enjoy a nice sample of its wines.

The narrow ruelas (streets) of the Jewish Quarter is a very nice walk, with the whitewashed houses, bright colours of the window and door frames, and the plants in the flower pots creating a picturesque landscape to admire.

Throughout the Jewish quarter, you will find many charming stores and restaurants waiting with the doors open to welcome us. One of them is the restaurant Casa Pepe, known for its exquisite traditional cooking. Shall we make a stop here?

Casa Pepe is in a classic Andalusian building with its courtyard and typical decor. Here we can enjoy all the flavour of tradition that Cordoba has to offer.

But to enjoy its delicious meal, we head to the roof, an attractive roof top, which offers a view of the tower of the Mosque.

The streets of Cordoba surprise us at each step and give us real postcard images to tuck away. One of those images is the courtyard containing the historic zoco of the city. Even nowadays, we can visit picturesque ceramic shops, wood and silverware shops.

From the zoco market, we reach the Bullfighting Museum, where we can find a wide sample of items related to the world of bullfighting.

Apart from the interesting contents of the museum, the palace architecture brings us back to a glorious past era.

Inside you will find examples portraying the relationship between the world of bullfighting and the city of Cordoba. Furthermore, at reception we will be informed about all the bullfighting milestones in the city and we will even receive information about themed routes.

Browsing the narrow streets of the Jewish Quarter, we almost accidentally bump into Cordoba Synagogue. Its austere entrance may go unnoticed, but the inside is of great beauty.

The entrance leads to a small courtyard which is no more than a preamble to the room of Synagogue, a compulsory stop for the many Jews that visit the city…

… and which is also the third best preserved in the whole of Spain, declared a National Monument since the 19th century.

 As we enter each of its rooms, we can feel the peace and solemnity of its environment, becoming a unique experience.

We cannot make a visit to the historic Cordoba without visiting the Great Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, one of the most beautiful examples of architecture of Andalusia and a symbol of the religious community.

We arrive at the door of the Mosque in a carriage and go in through one of the access patios. The view from inside is spectacular…

Once inside, the view of the many arches of the mosque is mixed with the ornamented vaults of the cathedral, creating a magical atmosphere impossible to reproduce anywhere else. We can visit the mosque alone, enjoying the meditation and aesthetics without taking care of anybody or anything else…

… or follow one of the guided group tours, sharing a unique experience with more visitors. What option do you prefer?

We can enjoy the remains and items from the historic-artistic heritage of the Mosque-Cathedral as we go from room to room.

The smooth, monumental architectural shapes inside the cathedral will surprise visitors during their entire tour inside the Mosque.

At the end of our visit to the Cathedral, we will feel a small strain in our neck as we have spent the entire tour looking upwards, amazed by the ornamental beauty of the domes and vaults.

The best addition to our artistic tour around the sights of Cordoba is, without a doubt, a live flamenco show while we have dinner in a typical Andalusian courtyard to get our energy back!