We visited Cordoba as a day trip from Sevilla, primarily to visit the famous Mezquita, the mosque turned cathedral. Cordoba was once a capital city that was comparable to Baghdad and Constantinople at their zenith. The Umayad Islamic dynasty ruled Al-Andalus which included Sevilla and Granada, with Cordoba as their capital starting from the year 750 AD to around 976 AD. The Mezquita is the prime example of Cordoba’s glory days.
We took the 8.40 am morning Renfe high speed AVE train from Sevilla to Cordoba. The train journey is fast and comfortable, at just 45 minutes. Make sure you factor in time to get to the train station and go through security at the train station. Look at the big electronic boards to find the platform your train is at, your ticket should have the coach and seat number. From the train station we took a taxi to the area around the Mezquita, in hindsight we should have gone straight to Viana palace, since our Mezquita tickets were for 1 pm in the afternoon.
During the morning, we strolled a part of Calleja de las flores and then headed to the Viana palace.
The Viana Palace: This lovely palace, situated in the Plaza de Don Gome, is built around twelve stunning courtyards, and is beautifully landscaped. We opted to take the patios only tickets as the guided tour for upstairs room is in Spanish only. It’s a beautiful place to walk around, especially when the weather is nice as it was in May with all the flowers blooming when we visited. It is closed on Monday.
Since our return train ticket to Sevilla was booked for 3.49 pm, we did not have time in Cordoba, for much apart from the Viana palace and Mezquita.
Our main reason to visit Cordoba was the Mezquita, the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Mezquita and its mesmerizing arches that seem to extend forever are fascinating. Our daughters were entranced as they saw in reality what they had studied back in high school in their AP Art History class. The Mezquita is truly beautiful and different from anything else we have seen. The site is always very crowded, it is a very large space and can feel chaotic.
Tickets can be purchased at:- Mosque-Cathedral | Web Oficial – Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba (mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es)
Devices must be picked up at the audio guide desk, in El Patio de Los Naranjos. The patio itself is free to enter. We had a tough time keeping up with the audio guide, so I gave up and simply walked around and enjoyed its unique beauty.
Cordoba’s other highlights if you have more time include:-
ROMAN BRIDGE: Walk across the pedestrian bridge to get postcard-perfect views of Cordoba.
HISTORIC CENTER AND JEWISH QUARTER: The area surrounding the Mezquita is known as the historic center of Cordoba. Most popular and probably the most photographed street is Calleja de las Flores. Here you will find whitewashed buildings and balconies filled with flowers. Calle de san bastilio: Neighboring the Jewish Quarter is the San Bastilio neighborhood, most famous for having some of the best flower-filled patios and courtyards during the Feria de los Patios, the patio contest of Cordoba in May. The Córdoba Patios Festival is a celebration that has been declared an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ by UNESCO.
Stop by Plaza de la Corredera, a historic square, not quite as grand as ones in Madrid, but with its own charm.
Cordoba Restaurant options:
- Bodegas Mezquita: C. Céspedes, 12, Centro, 14003 Córdoba
- Restaurante Taberna D´Ucles: Calle Corregidor Luis de La Cerda, 51 Centro
- Bar Santos
- La Psada del Caballo Andaluz
- Bodega Campos with an interesting collection of historical houses and patios
- La Posada del Caballo Andaluz
- Meson San Basilio or Tu Pescaíto
Women’s walking shoes
Travelon anti-theft bags
One final rather unpleasant note to be aware of is that the bathrooms at the Cordoba train station were really gross and unusable. Also keep toilet paper with you, in some of Spain’s public places, perhaps due to cost savings or homeless migrants, bathrooms are horrible. A better option is to find a nice restaurant to eat food at which also has a decent bathroom. Minor irritations aside, Cordoba is worth visiting for the Mezquita in particular.