Today, Córdoba is still home to many notable pieces of Moorish architecture and is a fascinating example of the coexistence of Islamic, Judaic and Christian culture and architecture during more than 500 years. The whole historic center of Córdoba has the UNESCO status.

How to get to Cordoba?

The easiest way to visit Cordoba is by train from one of the major cities. You can take the train from Seville, Malaga or Madrid. We took a flight to Seville from Amsterdam and decided to take the high speed train to Cordoba, which only takes around 45 minutes. Tickets can be bought on the train station, but you can also book easily online.

Best things to do in Cordoba

We visited Cordoba since one of my best friends was studying in the city. She had been in Cordoba for some time already so we had a semi-local to our disposal to show us all the best spots. All the sides we visited are as follows:

Mezquita

Built between the 8th and 10th century, the Mosque is one of Spanish most beautiful Islamic architectures. You enter the building through the Puerta de las Palmas where you will immediately see the red and white columns, 850 of them in total. The Mezquita can be seen through a guide tour, but it is also possible to roam around on your own. We took the information folder with us and roamed around.

Calleja de las Flores

Close to the Mezquite is a maze of small streets. We were not really looking for Calleja de las Flores, but stumbled upon it. Calleja de las Flores is the textbook cover of every guidebook of Cordoba, so I recolonized it immediately. In addition to streets full of colors and flowers, there are also a lot of patios. Patios are central to the architecture of ancient Spain to avoid the warm sun in the summers, some of them can be visited such as Palacio de Viana.

Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos

The Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos (Spanish for “Castle of the Christian Monarchs”) is a medieval alcázar located in the historic center of Córdoba, next to the Guadalquivir River and near the Grand Mosque. The fortress served as one of the primary residences of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. The Alcázar has been declared a Cultural Interest Heritage since 1931.

Torre de la Calahorra and the Roman Bridge

The Torre de la Calahorra was first erected to protect the nearby Roman Bridge on the Guadalquivir, nowadays the tower is a nice viewpoint on to the Roman Bridge. The Roman Bridge is according to the Arab geographer, Al-drisi ‘surpasses all other bridges in beauty and solidity’, reflecting little of its Roman roots, owing to frequent reconstruction over many decades. The present structure is a medieval reconstruction, though the 19th-century cobbled paving does give a Roman feel. There is an irregular pattern to the 16 arches in size and abutment protections.