Tourism city of Cordoba, Andalusia. Spain

City of caliphs, cradle of Seneca, monumental heart of Andalusia, its streets nourished by history are lined around the Guadalquivir.

History of Cordoba: a legendary city

It is believed that the name of the city comes from the time of Turdetan denomination, when kurba would have been baptized by Amilcar Barca in honor of a general who fought under him in 230 BC Marcus Claudius Marcellus sponsored the founding of a Roman city. Soon, the region experienced a great growth as evidenced by the existence of coins around 80 BC After the confrontation between Julius Caesar and Pompey the city suffered a harsh punishment by Caesar for having supported the loser. More than half of the population and a good part of the homes were destroyed in retaliation. Augustus, however, maintained the privileges of the city and allowed the construction of Cordoba. Culture received a new impulse and it was precisely at that time that one of the most illustrious Cordovans, Seneca, left his mark on history after serving as Nero‘s tutor. Between the second and fourth centuries and with Christianity introduced among its inhabitants, the bishop of Cordoba, Osio, led the first Council of Nicaea and was advisor to Emperor Constantine.

From 711 the Muslims established themselves in the city by means of several pacts that they signed with its inhabitants.

Five years later Abderraman I became Emir of Cordoba.

The Umayyad dynasty brought a new splendor and an increase in the cultural and commercial power of Muslim Cordoba. In 1236 Ferdinand III reconquered Cordoba.

Gastronomy: the best places to eat well in Cordoba

The Cordovan table shows the wise combination of the different influences that its culture has received. Game dishes, sea and land products go hand in hand in this cuisine that appreciates olive oil and uses it with mastery. Perhaps the best known and most important recipe is salmorejo, a thick gazpacho sauce that is consumed throughout Andalusia and also traditional are flamenquines and artichokes a la montillana, as well as cold vegetable soups. In addition, it is very popular the lamb with honey, a recipe of Mozarabic origin.

El Churrasco: (Romero 16) Their fried eggplants are among the best in Spain, as is the salmorejo. All the dining rooms are different and open onto a beautiful patio.

Sociedad de Plateros: Calle María Auxiliadora, 25. It is a place from another time. Located in an enclosed courtyard where soldiers used to come to eat and chat, this sort of canteen has fed many people for little money and more importantly, with good food. I recommend the salmorejo accompanied by crispy battered eggplants, flamenquines and oxtail.

Casa “El Pisto”: Taberna San Miguel. Typical and genuine Cordovan tavern, apart from the fact that the food is magnificent, being in this place is the clearest example of the joy and sense of humor of this city. Examples are the multitude of posters on the walls and on the paper tablecloths like: “Para torear y para casarse hay que arrimarse” (To bullfight and to get married you have to get close to each other), “Vino y jamón por dentro, curan los males al momento” (drinking wine and eating ham cures all diseases and illnesses) or the local card that reads: “En caso de no encontrar la dirección de mi casa, devuélvame a Casa “El Pisto” Plaza San Miguel 1: The moment you start to feel joy of life and to notice that in this world everything is beautiful and pleasant, before having one more drink, tie this label and start shouting: ¡OLÉ…! I’m on a spree: I beg whoever finds me, take me home ….. Please do not knock on the door, but ring the bell and wait for me to be received. I put on record to all my neighbors, who will be watching (whatever time it is), that it is only a small passing “headache”. http://www.casaelpisto.com/es/

Bodegas Campos: (Lineros 32) Beautiful 1908 winery converted into a reference restaurant. Traditional Cordovan cuisine, which highlights the fried fish and vegetables such as eggplant and artichokes.

Tradition dictates going for tapas in the Jewish quarter. There is the emblematic Casa Pepe (Romero 1) that in addition to recovering old recipes such as mazamorra (cold soup), dares with imaginative tapas such as coconut ajoblanco with red wine granita, or cherry gazpacho with mint. El Caballo Rojo (Cardenal Herrero 28) is famous for keeping alive Cordovan recipes of Mozarabic and Sephardic origin. Honey lamb, kidneys and marinated swordfish.

What should I visit during my stay in Cordoba?

Any visit to Cordoba has to pass by its main jewel, the Mosque-Cathedral, the Mosque of Cordoba. Guarded to the north by the hospital of Cardinal Salazar and the Monastery of the Incarnation, the mosque opens to the south to the Guadalquivir River. It is the most characteristic and valuable building of monumental Cordoba, and a great Arab construction of religious character.

Built in several phases, it was Abderramán I who ordered in 784 that a mosque be built on the site where the Visigothic hermitage of San Vicente had previously stood. This temple became the largest mosque in the Islamic world at the time. One of its peculiarities is that it is oriented to the south instead of facing the Mecca, as is obligatory in the rest of the Arab buildings.

Abderraman II, successor of the promoter, realizing that this building had become too small for the needs of the city, decided to expand it with 8 transverse naves, and later 12 more were added. The result is a beautiful set of columns, with 856 pillars still standing.

After the Reconquest, the Christians built inside the mosque, and between its naves, a cathedral under the impulse of Charles V. This creation was gathering Gothic, Renaissance, Plateresque and Baroque styles over the years. Christian chapels were built next to the side walls, among them the royal chapel and the chapel of Villaviciosa. Today the cathedral is in the middle of a majestic forest of columns in which color, light and shadows play a fundamental role.

Another attractive point is the courtyard of orange trees, in the Muslim era in this courtyard were palm trees and fountains for ablutions. Today’s layout, more modern, the orange trees date from the time of Isabella the Catholic because apparently she liked orange marmalade. Irrigation canals designed by the Arabs can be observed.

The charm of "los Barrios", strolling through the streets of the old town.

Walking through the city we can soak up the spirit of a past of great artistic and especially cultural splendor, which resulted in a refined and elegant city.

Cordoba is not a linear city to visit “organized”. Every street will sooner or later lead us back to the mosque. When you enter an urban framework there is no way out, some streets lead us to others that have no exit, to small squares where time seems to stop, where railings and balconies have a network of gitanillas and geraniums of impossible colors.

To get to know this city, getting lost is a must.

The Plaza del Potro, witness of the Cordovan way of life, and the neighborhoods of the Old Alcazar and the Jewish Quarter, are a must-see. The latter is the oldest in the city and testifies to the importance acquired by the Jewish community in Cordoba’s past. Its winding alleys have a special charm. The synagogue stands out, a small building that belonged to a private individual and dates back to the 4th century.

Also visit the Plaza de la Corredera, in Castilian style, the Calleja de Las Flores, which presents a beautiful and warm postcard of the city thanks to its balconies decorated with potted flowers and plants. Pedro Jimenez Street or Calleja del Pañuelo, is the smallest street in the city, so called because it has the width of a handkerchief.

The Cordoba Fair, the Great Bullfighting Event of the Year

Impregnated with the historical greatness of this city, the only thing left to do is to soak up its customs and the joy of its people. And as the saying goes “A donde fueres has what you see” mimetizate with the fair and be one more dancing and drinking to the sound of “sevillanas”.

The magic of the Feria de Cordoba is one of those things that you should do at least once in your life. The music, the flamenco, dressing up in the typical polka dot costume, enjoying the food, culture, customs and the bullfighting evenings. The people of Cordoba wait a whole year for this moment and it is not for less.

Enjoy the passion and excitement in the bullring of Los Califas. The days of the Feria Cordoba is filled to capacity, we recommend you book your tickets in advance and do not miss the bullfights, a unique spectacle in the world.

Bullfighting tickets reservations 2024

Official box office for bullfighting tickets. Get the best seat by buying your tickets in advance. calendar of shows, prices and seats.

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How to get to Cordoba?

Cordoba cannot be reached by plane, but from Madrid it takes only one hour and 42 minutes on Renfe’s AVE trains. You can travel by direct train from Barcelona, Tarragona, Castellón and Valencia.