The Cream of Cordoba

Roman Bridge

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Attraction | "Roman Remains"

The Roman Bridge Photo - Roman Bridge, Cordoba, Spain

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Although the majority of its original structure has long since faded, worn or subsided, Cordoba’s Puente Romano, or Roman Bridge, retains the name that alludes to its two-millennia-old history, and its renovated form possesses a grandeur reconstructed from the remains left behind.Despite its apparent function, the Roman bridge is used as much as a lookout as it is for crossing this broad expanse of the Guadalquivir river, where the husks of old water mills stand stranded and half-consumed by greenery. From the middle of the bridge, views back up the hill across Cordoba are quite wonderful, with the cathedral and mesquite (mosque) dominating the skyline in the foreground. The vast majority ...Read More

Although the majority of its original structure has long since faded, worn or subsided, Cordoba’s Puente Romano, or Roman Bridge, retains the name that alludes to its two-millennia-old history, and its renovated form possesses a grandeur reconstructed from the remains left behind.

Despite its apparent function, the Roman bridge is used as much as a lookout as it is for crossing this broad expanse of the Guadalquivir river, where the husks of old water mills stand stranded and half-consumed by greenery. From the middle of the bridge, views back up the hill across Cordoba are quite wonderful, with the cathedral and mesquite (mosque) dominating the skyline in the foreground. The vast majority of the city is to the north of the bridge, with relatively little of great size or interest to the south, unless you’re on your way to the football stadium – as such, it tends to swarm with tourists and guided groups during the peak months.

Work is still ongoing to finish the bridge, with a temporary walkway at the northern end passing through the imposing carved and inscribed gate that straddles the bridge while excavations continue below. However, most of the structure is finished, and manages to strike a good balance between its heritage and modernity – it’s neither too new and shiny and out of touch with its roots, nor so self-consciously "traditional" that it resembles a pastiche of the original. A pair of statues dominate the centre of the bridge, and from anywhere along its length, the views are tremendous – what’s more, the river’s a nice place to escape from the heat and hurry of the city that’s so close at hand in the warren of the old town.

At the far (southern) end of the bridge, the Calahorra tower, a distinctive boxy structure which throws welcome shade hosts an exhibition (€4) relating the various influences that Cordoba’s diverse cultural heritages have had on the city – today, the marks left by Jewish, Muslim and Christian traditions are evident throughout a wander up and down the city’s streets.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on September 29, 2010

Roman Bridge
Old town
Cordoba, Spain

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Alcazar de Los Reyes Cristianos - The Palace of The Christian Kings

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Attraction | "Fit for Kings"

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The Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos – or Palace of the Christian Monarchs – stands on the banks of Cordoba’s Guadalquivir river, an optimistic stone’s throw away from the city’s celebrated Mezquita. One of the principal homes of the eponymous Christian monarchs, Isabella and Fernando, who oversaw the reconquest of Spain from the Moors and set Christopher Columbus sailing off westwards in search of new land, it’s now one of the city’s most-visited landmarks, with its imposing towers and lush, rich gardens.Little more than two hundred metres to the west of the Mezquita, a shady courtyard conceals the entrance to the Alcazar (€4 entry, 10:00 to 18:30 with a siesta in the middle of the day). T...Read More

The Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos – or Palace of the Christian Monarchs – stands on the banks of Cordoba’s Guadalquivir river, an optimistic stone’s throw away from the city’s celebrated Mezquita. One of the principal homes of the eponymous Christian monarchs, Isabella and Fernando, who oversaw the reconquest of Spain from the Moors and set Christopher Columbus sailing off westwards in search of new land, it’s now one of the city’s most-visited landmarks, with its imposing towers and lush, rich gardens.

Little more than two hundred metres to the west of the Mezquita, a shady courtyard conceals the entrance to the Alcazar (€4 entry, 10:00 to 18:30 with a siesta in the middle of the day). The interior of the Alcazaba (castle) is open to visitors on its north side, with two of the towers climbable here – the Torre de los Leones affords impressive views across the city and river. The rest of the structure is in a slightly jaded state of repair, although the courtyards you look out over from the castle’s windows have an appeal of their own, even lacking the renovation and care the rest of the place has seen.

It’s the gardens, however, that are the principal attraction of the Alcazar – an extensive network of plants and trees falling away from the raised castle complex, heaving with fruit and flowers in season. A series of fountains and pools reflect the rows of carefully-planted trees, and the whole thing boasts an impressive, almost architectural symmetry. At the far end of the gardens, the former inhabitants of the site are depicted in statue conversing with Columbus prior to his eventual discovery of the Americas.

In truth, the Alcazar isn’t quite the stunning piece of design and architecture that its counterpart in Seville is, for instance. Even in Cordoba, you’ll see far more beguiling and impressive man-made creations, and if the castle isn’t quite literally in the shade of the Mezquita (although it’s not far off), the grandeur of the city’s most famous building makes the Alcazar seem slightly tame by comparison. Still, while the castle itself isn’t all that you might see elsewhere, it has plenty of interest – and the gardens justify the visit without question; a wonderfully tranquil, verdant space in the midst of a busy, sweaty city. For four Euros (half the price of the Mezquita), you can’t really go wrong, and this deserves to be part of any visit to Cordoba.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on September 29, 2010

Alcazar de Los Reyes Cristianos - The Palace of The Christian Kings
Downtown
Cordoba, Spain

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Bodega Taberna Rafae

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Restaurant | "Terrific Tapas"

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I’d been warned by a Spanish friend that "Bodega" (cellar) is essentially a byword for "damn expensive restaurant", and this place’s location, a few minutes’ walk from the heaving tourist hotspot that is Cordoba’s Mezquita hardly boded well. But sometimes it’s nice to be proven utterly and completely wrong; this is a fine bar/restaurant, with excellent food, good atmosphere and reasonable prices.A multilingual menu is available, but you’d be better off setting it to one side and picking up the small card on the table detailing the restaurant’s tapas and raciones (larger, more meal-sized portions compared to the taster-type accompaniments that are tapas). Tapas are around €2, raciones typic...Read More

I’d been warned by a Spanish friend that "Bodega" (cellar) is essentially a byword for "damn expensive restaurant", and this place’s location, a few minutes’ walk from the heaving tourist hotspot that is Cordoba’s Mezquita hardly boded well. But sometimes it’s nice to be proven utterly and completely wrong; this is a fine bar/restaurant, with excellent food, good atmosphere and reasonable prices.

A multilingual menu is available, but you’d be better off setting it to one side and picking up the small card on the table detailing the restaurant’s tapas and raciones (larger, more meal-sized portions compared to the taster-type accompaniments that are tapas). Tapas are around €2, raciones typically €4-5. There’s a good variety of foodstuffs here, all fairly typical Spanish bar offerings, but done rather well. The salmorejo – a cold tomato-based soup similar to Gazpacho, but thicker and topped with egg and ham, and famed in Cordoba – is great, and makes a good precursor to some other nibbles. The berenjenas (fried Aubergines) and calamares (squid) are similarly excellent, while it’s worth getting a couple of servings of chorizo; the portions are small but delicious. Ultimately, the fun’s to be found in picking an assortment of interesting-sounding tapas from the menu, a cheap and varied way to find you favourites.

With a lively, busy atmosphere, Bodega Taberna Rafae is a pretty popular place, and its location in the centre of the old town ensures there’s plenty of passing trade – it’s worth turning up a little early, perhaps, to get a table, although there’s lots of seating, including that in the eponymous cellar. Service is excellent considering how busy the place gets, and the waiters are easy to flag down (something that’s all too frequently not the case). As such, food and drink flows quickly and happily from the kitchen, and while this isn’t perhaps a chilled-out, relaxing place to eat, it’s a great place to enjoy the atmosphere of a Cordoban evening.

The décor goes for a pretty traditional look, but it feels genuine, and doesn’t try too hard – the clientele seems to represent a good mixture of locals and visitors as well, which must be a good thing. There’s no lack of places to eat in the centre of Cordoba – and no lack of places shouting about their tapas – but this is an excellent bet for lunch and dinner, and it’s one we find ourselves coming back to time and again.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on September 26, 2010

Bodega Taberna Rafae
Calle Deanes, 2 - Esq. Buen Pastor
Cordoba, Andalusia 14003

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Cathedral-Mosque of Cordoba

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Attraction | "The Mosque that Ate a Cathedral"

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Cordoba is rightly celebrated for its Mezquita (or Mosque), the most emblematic of the city’s attractions – and iconic it is, as many of Cordoba’s locations work the distinctive two-tone arches into their stylings. Much of the Old Town that surrounds the Mezquita is an attraction in itself – narrow, winding passageways opening out into attractive courtyards and squares, lined with a plethora of tapas bars, shops and restaurants. Cordoba’s diverse religious make-up is evident here, as you stroll from La Juderia (the Jewish district) to streets containing Arabic tearooms and similarly-derived architecture, passing Christian churches and Roman ruins en route.This meeting-point of cultures is ...Read More

Cordoba is rightly celebrated for its Mezquita (or Mosque), the most emblematic of the city’s attractions – and iconic it is, as many of Cordoba’s locations work the distinctive two-tone arches into their stylings. Much of the Old Town that surrounds the Mezquita is an attraction in itself – narrow, winding passageways opening out into attractive courtyards and squares, lined with a plethora of tapas bars, shops and restaurants. Cordoba’s diverse religious make-up is evident here, as you stroll from La Juderia (the Jewish district) to streets containing Arabic tearooms and similarly-derived architecture, passing Christian churches and Roman ruins en route.

This meeting-point of cultures is most notably on display inside the Mezquita itself, although here the union is not necessarily harmonious. The site started out as a Roman Church before a great Mosque was constructed in its stead – one of the largest in the Muslim world at the time, with over 800 pillars supporting the vast roof. In time, the city was retaken by the Spanish and the sumptuous innards of a Cathedral were built, not over the top of the stunning structure, but inside it. This somewhat off-kilter balance between the two religions remains today, retaining a remarkable, quite unique structure that needs to be experienced, with a curious hushed atmosphere amongst the forest of arches in its darkened halls. Entrance is €8, and is well worth the price, although the impressive patio, filled with orange trees, is free in which to wander.

Open from 10 a.m. until half past six, the interior is surprisingly gloomy; although this should not be taken pejoratively. Rather, it adds a certain secretive tranquillity to the vast space inside, where whispers echo around the columns. A host of small chapels have been built into the outside of the structure, but it is the central nave which represents the most striking addition to the building.

Constructed in a renaissance style, the Cathedral opens up suddenly in the midst of the Mosque as a bright, opulent clearing that stands proudly in contrast with the earthier, more muted surroundings. From the Cathedral’s point of view, this is as dramatic and distinctive a setting as could be wished for, although one wonders how different the Mezquita looked when it housed only the one religion, with the doors along its northern wall flung open to let the light flood in and illuminate the maze of arches.

Despite the Christian influence, the art and style of the Mezquita is still, inside and out, overwhelming Moorish. Within the Mosque, the Mihrab, which once housed the Koran, is without doubt the most overwhelmingly impressive structure; a gilded, mosaiced shrine with finely-crafted curves and lines and exquisite decoration whose finer points and religious significance probably exceed my descriptive abilities.

Externally, the Mezquita is equally iconic and striking, dominating Cordoba’s skyline and providing a centrepoint to the city’s old town. Crowds circulate around it all day and sit drinking on its steps late into the night, taking advantage of the number of fine tapas bars lining the surrounding streets. The distinctive bell tower used to stand higher than it currently does, but it still dominates the riverside skyline and guides you towards one of Cordoba, and Spain’s most intriguing structures.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 3, 2010

Cathedral-Mosque of Cordoba
Calles Torrijos and Cardenal Herrero S/N
Cordoba, Andalusia

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Botanical Garden

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Attraction | "Glorious Gardens"

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How to save money and disappoint small children: go to Cordoba. Ask someone where the zoo is. Walk for quarter of an hour, passing half a dozen signs for the zoo. Find zoo, walk up to entrance. Cross the road, enter botanical gardens.A short walk from Cordoba's most celebrated and tour-group strewn quarters, the city's zoo and botanical gardens lie opposite each other on the banks of the Guadalquivir, the river which chops through Cordoba's southern extremities. For €2, the botanical gardens are packed with plantlife and information, with a good variety of exhibits and displays, and small museums at either end of the complex. Cooled by the river and the shade of hundreds of trees, the gard...Read More

How to save money and disappoint small children: go to Cordoba. Ask someone where the zoo is. Walk for quarter of an hour, passing half a dozen signs for the zoo. Find zoo, walk up to entrance. Cross the road, enter botanical gardens.

A short walk from Cordoba's most celebrated and tour-group strewn quarters, the city's zoo and botanical gardens lie opposite each other on the banks of the Guadalquivir, the river which chops through Cordoba's southern extremities. For €2, the botanical gardens are packed with plantlife and information, with a good variety of exhibits and displays, and small museums at either end of the complex. Cooled by the river and the shade of hundreds of trees, the gardens are a pleasant place to escape from the heat which, even out of season, holds the city in a pretty relentless grip. There's a cafe near the rose garden to the eastern end, although in late September, this wasn't open.

A broad square opens out from the entrance, with a garden for the blind to the left as you come in, full of fragrant plants and flowers with signs in braille. Further on this way, the path passes through a series of citrus trees, from the ever-present naranjos/orange trees of this area to an unlabelled specimen that was dangling a single fruit as big as an adult's head from one stooped limb. No idea what that was ... any help?

Past the olive trees and rose garden, and via a darker, cooler area beneath tall, dense foilage, you reach a former water mill that's now hosting a modest paleobotanical museum exploring and documenting plantlife through the ages. The displays are clear, modern and well-looked-after, with a few nice interactive features and some clever uses of the two-storey space to illustrate the passing of time. Information is only in Spanish, but the visuals are fairly explicit.

At the other end of the park - having passed three greenhouses filled with a variety of temperately-fussier plantlife - there's an ethnobotanical museum dedicated to the relationships between humans and plants. Admittance here is only by guided tour, and the tours are Spanish-only, lasting for forty-five minutes and starting every half-past.

In a city as jammed full of fascinating attractions and arresting architecture, you probably won't have the botantical gardens high on your to-see list unless this is something you've got a particular interest in. However, if you're in the city for a while, or you're making a return visit, it's worth getting away from the crammed streets around the Mezquita for a while, and €2 is an entirely reasonable amount for the time you'll spend exploring the grounds. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on September 26, 2010

Botanical Garden
By River Guadalquivir
Cordoba, Spain

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