A Walking Tour Of Cordoba's Architectural Landmarks

Cordoba is home to monuments dating from all the most important epochs in its varied history: Roman, Moorish and Christian. Happily, all of these great buildings are within walking distance of each other in the beautiful historical centre; follow the route we suggest below to enjoy them all.

Patios and Courtyards

Start your walking tour in the historical centre of Cordoba, where every May the city’s oldest houses open their stunning courtyards and patios to the public. Aesthetically striking as they may be, these charming spaces were created from necessity. Cordoba is the hottest city in Europe during the summer months, when temperatures frequently reach an insufferable 40°C (104°F), so it has always been essential for its inhabitants to have a cool retreat for the middle of the day. As far back as the Roman occupation of Cordoba, houses were built with an internal, open-aired atrium, which was protected from the sun on all sides by thick stone walls. Over the centuries, these havens of cool and shade were decorated with flowers, plants and fountains – a practice that was refined during the Moorish occupation of Cordoba. Since 1918 the Feria de los Patios, as it’s called, has been sponsored by Cordoba’s town hall, which offers a prize for the prettiest patio.

1. Palacio de Viana

Building, Historical Landmark

Colourful gardens in the grounds of the Palacio de Viana

The star of Cordoba’s patios feria is the elegant 15th-century Palacio de Viana, a vast building that has been used over the centuries as a residence for Spanish royalty. For an admission price of €5 (£4.37), you can visit Viana’s 13 patios and gardens. Intricately designed and aromatically populated with colourful plants, flowers and trees, these are some of Cordoba’s most gorgeous public spaces. Their cultivation has taken centuries: the Patio of the Oranges, for example, served as the palace’s entrance in the 15th century (now it is the third courtyard you come to), while the Alhambra-like Patio of the Columns was added only in the 1980s as a space for events and celebrations. Allow a good hour to slowly wander around these scented, romantic spaces, peering in through the palace’s old windows as you go; another age of louche affluence and amorous intrigue, once played out amongst Viana’s orange trees and jasmines, comes instantly back to life.

3. Mosque–Cathedral

Mosque, Historical Landmark, Cathedral, Architectural Landmark

After admiring the Roman temple, head south through the Old Town towards the river and walk alongside it, on the restaurant-lined Calle Ronda de Isasa, until Cordoba’s greatest monument appears on your left. Most cities in southern Spain have relics from their periods under Moorish and – subsequently – Christian rule, but nowhere are they combined in the same structure as they are in Cordoba. The city’s Mosque-Cathedral, also known as the Mezquita, is the greatest dual-identity monument in Spain and a powerful symbol of the two cultures that have shaped Andalusia. After the Moors captured Cordoba in 711, what had previously been a Visigoth Christian church was split in two and used by both Christians and Muslims as a place of worship. But in 784, on the orders of the Emir Abd al-Rahman, the church was destroyed and work began on a great mosque. Construction lasted for over two centuries and the building was eventually completed in 987, by which point Cordoba was the most important city in the Islamic Kingdom.

When the city was reclaimed by Christians in 1236, the mosque was converted into a church, and in the 16th century Charles V added a Renaissance nave on top of the Moorish structure. The mosque’s most famous feature is its vast main hall, supported by over 850 double-arched columns. Sunlight and shadows create unusual effects as you wander among them, contemplating the multifaceted history of this great building.

4. Roman Bridge

Bridge

After taking in the Mezquita, cross the busy Calle Ronda de Isasa, walk under the medieval Puerta del Puente and onto Cordoba’s famous Roman Bridge, or Puente Romano. Originally dating from the 1st century BC, it was extensively rebuilt in the 10th century during the Moorish occupation of the city. Sitting low over the opaque waters of the Guadalquivir, which flows down all the way through Andalusia and out into the Atlantic, it is supported by 17 stone arches, of which just two once belonged to the original structure. The middle of the bridge, next to a 17th-century statue of Saint Raphael, is the perfect spot from which to survey Cordoba and the green, hilly countryside that surrounds it.

5. Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos

Bridge, Park

To conclude your walking your of Cordoba, head back to the bridge’s northern end and turn left, walking along the banks of the Guadalquivir until you come to the city’s next great architectural landmark: the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos (Castle of the Catholic Kings). As its name suggests, the construction of this royal palace was ordered by the Catholic King Alfonso XI of Castile in 1328 but – as is so often the case in Andalusia – it was built amongst the ruins of a vast Moorish fort. In the late 10th century, when the Islamic Kingdom was at the height of its powers, Cordoba was the kingdom’s – and indeed one of the world’s – great intellectual cities, and the Alcazar housed the largest library in the west. Alfonso used only a fraction of the remains of the original Moorish structure in building the Alcazar, but he chose a Mudejar style, so the Moorish feel of the site has been preserved.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.