Cordoba

useful
information

The presence of the first human settlements in the area was largely due to their location on the banks of the River Guadalquivir within easy reach of the mines of the Sierra Morena. With the passage of time their influence grew so great that they became the capital of the Roman province of Baetica in a period of cultural splendour that produced philosophers such as Seneca, as in many ways the city was comparable to Rome itself. During the Byzantine and Visigothic periods it continued to be of great importance, but it was in the 10th century when its greatest magnificence was attained. As capital of the caliphate of Cordoba, which governed almost the entire peninsula, it enjoyed the best infrastructures while the rest of Europe sank into pre-Renaissance obscurity. Its mosques, libraries, baths, and souks contributed towards the flourishing of culture, letters, and sciences, making the city the largest, most cultivated, and most opulent in the world with between 250,000 and 500,000 inhabitants. It currently continues to be the great cultural reference point that has been preserved through the ages. It has the second largest historic city centre in Europe and is the largest urban area in the world to have been declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

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CORDOBA ESSENTIALS

Population: 328.547 (2010) Area: 1,255.24 km² (484.98 sq mi) Density: 261.74 (671.5 sq mi) Elevation: 120 m (394 ft) Mayor: Jose Antonio Nieto

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Tourist Information: Tourist information Point in Renfe-AVE Station, Arriving Hall. Open daily 9:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 19:30 Tourist information Point in front of Alcazar, Campo Santo de los Mártires (in front of Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos). Open daily 9:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 19:30. Tourist information Point Plaza de las Tendillas, Plaza de las Tendillas. Open daily 9:00 to 14:00 and 17:30 to 1920:00. More information at www.turismodecordoba.org ( 902 201 774).

Telephone: Cordoba code number is 957, even necessary for local calls. For international calls dial 00 plus the country code you wish to call. Public telephones works with coins and prepaid cards on sale at newsagents. For telephone information dial 11888 or 11822.

Airport: Cordoba Airport – ODB ( 957 21 41 00 and 902 404 704 for customer assistance) is located 6 km from the city centre on Airport Road. Passenger Terminal is at down floor in the main building featuring departure/arrival zones, cafe, offices and more services. It is linked with city centre by bus line 0-2 -at crossroad with N-437 road- Monday to Saturday from 6:30 to 22:30 and Sunday from 8:00 to 22:30; and offer 15 daily trips Monday to Friday, 11 on Saturday and 9 on Sunday; single ticket cost 1.15 €. Taxi stop is close to the terminal building, ride to city centre will cost 14 € approximately.

Train Station: Cordoba Central Station, Glorieta de las Tres Culturas ( 902 24 02 02). Thanks to AVE high speed lines Madrid-Sevilla-Málaga, Cordoba have a fast and outstanding communication between these capitals: Madrid is 1h45min (from 49.20 €), Sevilla 45min (from 21.30 €) and Málaga 1h (from 35.50 €). The station links city districts by several bus lines: 3 to Santuario, 4 to Parque Fidiana, 5 to Ciudad Sanitaria and 11 to Sansueña.

Bus Station: Cordoba Bus Station ( 957 40 40 40 ), Avenida de la Libertad (in front of the train station). Socibus ( 902 22 92 92) links Córdoba and Madrid in 4h30min (price 14.40 €).

Public Transport: Visiting the city by feet is strongly recommended, because its historic city centre and main monuments are next to each other. Local buses are provided by Autobuses Urbanos de Córdoba – Aucorsa ( 957 764 676) featuring 19 bus lines linking all the city. Single ticket costs 1.15 € and have to be directly bought from the driver. A 10 trip ticket can be purchased in newsagents by 6.60 € (5.30 € for students).

Taxis: Weekdays from 6:00 to 22:00 flag fall costs 1.24 €, plus 0.65 € each km, with a minimum fare of 3.21 €. Weekdays from 22:00 to 6:00, Saturday, Sunday and bank days flag fall costs 1.55 €, plus 0.82 € each km, with a minimum fare of 4.01 €. Airport supplement 7.10 €, station supplement 0.33 € and luggage bigger than 60 cm 0.45 €. Teletaxi, 957 76 44 44. Taxi stops are located in Plaza de las Tendillas, Glorieta de Artilleros, jardines de la Merced, Train Station (Avenida de America) and more.

Driving: Car parking is ruled by parquimeters, Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 21:00 and Saturday from 9:00 to 14:00. Costs 0.20 €, 0.80 € & 1.60 € for 15, 60 & 120 minutes. One of the most reliable public parking is the one located at the outskirts of Juderia district, behind the ancient walls at Doctor Marañón Street. A typical way for visiting Cordoba is horse’s car (40 € / 40 minutes ride). Another useful choice are electric cars (from two seats) and segway or electric skate, both can be rented in Blobject, Av. Doctor Fleming ( 957 76 00 33).

Emergencies: All the emergencies: 112; Medical Service: 061; Local Police: 092; National Police: 091.

Medical Assistance: Hospital San Juan De Dios, Carretera Brillante, 106 ( 957 27 48 11). Hospital De La Cruz Roja De Cordoba, Paseo Victoria ( 957 42 06 66). Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, Av. Menéndez Pidal ( 957 01 00 00). Hospital la Arrufaza, Av. Arrufaza, 9 ( 957 76 76 10).

Restaurants: Taberna Salinas, Tundidores, 3 ( bus 3, 7 & 16). One of the bests taberns of Cordoba, good price & quality relation. Rafalete, Diario de Córdoba, 5 ( bus 3, 7 & 16). A big restaurant with characteristic lamps over walls and ceilings. Big portions at more than reasonable prices. El Caballo Rojo, Cardenal Herrero, 28 ( bus 3 & 16). Huge range of styles but always the same good quality. Restaurante-Taberna Casa Pepe de la Judería, Romero, 1 ( bus 3 & 16). The best Place to taste the typical cordobese food in a patio. El Churrasco, Romero, 16 ( bus 3 & 16). One of the bests restaurants of Andalusia, where you don’t have to miss their roasted meats with holm oak’s coal. Almudaina, Campo Santo de los Mártires, 1 ( bus 3 & 16). Homemade food inside a small palace of the XVI century. Taberna Casa Bravo, Puerta de Almodóvar, 1 ( bus 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 & 9). Tapas and flamenco in a typical andalusian patio. La Caña de España, Alcalde Velasco Navarro, 10 ( bus 5 & 7). Choose a free tapa with your drink. Restaurante Bandolero, Torrijos, 6 ( bus 3 & 16). The recipes for the best local cuisine, the views and the huge range of tapas and wines are well recomended. Taberna Los Faroles, Velázquez Bosco, 1 ( bus 3 & 16). An andalusian patio at Juderia’s heart is the best Place to enjoy the most typical dishes. Casa el Pisto, Plaza San Miguel, 1 ( bus 1, 4, 7 & 12). One of the most ancient bistros in the city, specialized in homemade tapas. Taberna Paco Acedo, Adarve, 28 ( bus 2, 5, 9, 10, 11 & 12). A place for chatting since was set up, one of the most traditional city bistros, always offering the best quality in homemade dishes, specially oxtail. Mesón La Luna, Calleja de la Luna, 1 ( bus 3 & 16). A beautiful and romantic restaurant in Jews quartier, with Cordoban specials like rabo de toro or salmorejo. The worst, prices and restaurant attendants. Bodega Guzmán, Judíos, 7 ( bus 3 & 16). All Adalusian essentials in just one place. White wine “finos” from their own cellar, just behind the bar and traditional deco based on bullfighting.

Cafes & tea-rooms: El Astronauta, Diario de Córdoba, 18 ( bus 3, 7 y 16). Cordoba recipes in a modern café & restaurant Nairobi, Doce de Octubre with Los Haranas ( bus 3, 4, 10, 11, 13, 16 & 17). African ambience. Restaurante Cucurucho, Plaza Hiroshima y Nagasaki – Jardines de los Patos ( bus 5, 7 & 8). Agriculture gardens ends in this ancient kiosc with a wide terrace where summer afternoons don’t seem to be so hot. Free wi-fi and, of course, Cordoban recipes. Gran Capitán, Avenida Gran Capitán, 16 ( bus 5, 7 & 8). Even is not the most glamour café in town, this big terraca in the middle of a pedestrian area is a nice site to make a stop. Bar Panorámico La Azotea, Av. Fray Albino, 1, close to Puente Romano ( bus 15 & 16). Placed in the Hotel Hesperia Cordoba’s roof, over a privileged area with views of the most important monuments. Hamman Baños Arabes, Corregidor Luis de la Cerda, 51 ( bus 3 & 16). This arab baths with spa offers the best place to taste a mint tea at historic city centre in a bath hall decorated recreating the past of the city. Siena, Plaza de las Tendillas ( bus 3, 7, 12 & 16). Beginning and ending of every walk around Córdoba, Tendillas square is an ideal spot to take a breath. Even this is also a restaurant, they have good cafés, cocktails and spirits. Café Gaudí, Avenida Gran Capitán, 22 ( bus 5, 7 & 8). Iron columns of this café reflect a modernist style trying to imitate. A big central area surrounded by small tables and a terrace open all year long.

Tablaos: La Bulería, Pedro López, 3 ( bus 3, 7, 12 & 16). Next to Corredera square, they offer Andalusian cuisine with flamenco showa at 22:30 every day. A drink is included with the entrance fee. El Cardenal, Torrijos, 10 ( bus 3 & 16). Next to the Congress Palace they offer 90 minute shows in a typical Cordoba patio. The restaurant also offers good Cordoban menus.

Pubs & Clubs: Cordoba night begins around terraces of Av. Libertad and Av. América, as well as Polígono Chinales in the North exit from the city to the University area, where most of the clubs are. Theatre Café, Av. Libertad with Miguel Gila ( bus 5). One of the Cordoba night refence. Blue Café, Av. Libertad with Francisco Rabal ( bus 5). Chill-out club with a nice terrace. Jazz Café, Tundidores with Rodríguez Marín ( bus 3, 7 & 16). The best jazz in town. La Posada de Babylonia, Fernando de Córdoba, 8 ( bus 3, 4, 10, 11, 13, 16 & 17). Chill-out venue based on ancient Babylonia. A big dance floor surrounded by charm tables for those fed up of Cordoban patios. Solera, Córdoba de Veracruz, 9 ( bus 5, 7 & 8). Huge range of drinks and good music. O’Donoghue’s, Av. Gran Capitán, 38 ( bus 3, 4, 10, 11, 13, 16 & 17). Irish pub. Kulala, Gran Capitán, 35 ( bus 3, 4, 10, 11, 13, 16 & 17). Nice pub with summer terrace. O’Connell’s, Avenida América with Manuel Cuéllar Ramos ( bus 5). The biggest Irish pub in Córdoba, with all flavours from Dublin Temple Bar. Two bars, big TV screens, nice terrace and great spirits.

Gay venues: Soul, Alfonso XIII, 3 ( bus 1, 2, 4 & 6). Café-bar.

travel
guide

It is hard to find a city that has harmonised the legacy and the traces of the peoples who have settled in her as well as Cordoba. A stroll through its streets where three key cultures coexisted in former times is the best form of travel back in time to what is considered to be the jewel of the caliphate.

Alcazar

The labyrinth of narrow streets is a sign that we are in the Jewish quarter, the earliest population centre, which is where the Muslim medina used to be located and which contains the city’s most emblematic monuments. This itinerary starts at the 1st-century b.C. Roman bridge that crosses the Guadalquivir, which is delimited by the Torre de la Calahorra that houses the Museum Roger Garaudy of the Three Culture ( bus 15 & 16; daily on summer from 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:30, on winter from 10:00 to 18:00; adults 4.50 €, children 3 €), and the Puerta del Puente, to the left of which stands the Triunfo de San Rafael. This castle-palace of the Citadelof the Christian Kings (Alcázar) deserves a special mention; it is a Roman fortress on the banks of the Guadalquivir that was subsequently the Place of residence of caliphs and Christian kings and the scenario of the conquest of the Kingdom of Granada and the Colombus epic. Alfonso XI rebuilt it completely, defying Islam with a Gothic castle sculpted in stone that is noted for its towers, royal baths, gardens, and Roman mosaics in the chapel ( bus 2, 6 & 9; entrance on Calle Caballerizas Reales; Tuesday to Friday from 8:30 to 19:30, Saturday 9:30 to 16:30 and Sunday 9:30 to 14:30; adults 4 €, students under 26 y.o. 2 €, gardens 2 €, free on Fridays). Behind the Alcázar stood the royal stables ( Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 11:00 to 13:30 & 16:00 to 19:30, Friday and Saturday 11:00 to 13:30 & 16:00 to 21:00, Sunday 10:00 to 13:00; equestrian show 15 €); and subsequently the quarter of San Basilio, which has the prettiest patios in the month of May.

Mosque

The Mosque-Cathedral, which has been declared a World Heritage Site, is a harmonious combination of styles superimposed during its nine centuries of construction that reflects the power and prosperity that the city enjoyed. The initiation of the work, in which numerous Omeya rulers took part, is due to Abd al-Rahman I in 785; the most spectacular reform was carried out by Al- Hakam I. The Christian conquest of the city in 1236 brought with it the conversion of this Muslim religious icon into a cathedral, and subsequently the construction of the chancel, the church, and the tower above the minaret built by Hernán Ruiz ( bus 3 & 16; Monday to Saturday March to October from 10:00 to 19:00, November to February from 10:00 to 18:00, Sunday from 8:30 to 10:00 and 14:00 to 19:00; adults 8 €, children from 10 to 14 years old 4 €, audioguide 3.50 €, free from Monday to Saturday 8:30 to 10:00). Opposite it stands the Conference and Exhibition Centre within the building of the former general hospital of San Sebastián, adjacent to the Diocesan Fine Art Museum (close for restoration works). The area surrounding the Mosque includes the Jewish Synagogue, the only preserved building of its kind together with that of Toledo, which is next to the Handicrafts Souk ( Tuesday to Saturday 9:30 to 14:00 and 15:30 to 17:30, Sunday 9:30 to 14:00 & 15:30 to 17:30; UE citizens free, others 0.30 €). Towards the east the visitor can cross the Plazas de Tiberíades and Maimónides, where the buildings include the old Cardenal Salazar hospital, the Mudejar chapel of San Bartolomé, the caliphal baths ( Tuesday to Friday on winter from 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 18:30, on summer from 8:30 to 19:30, Saturday from 9:30 to 16:30 and Sunday 9:30 to 14:30; adults 2 €, students under 26 y.o. 1 €, free on Wednesday), some remains of the city walls, the convent of San Pedro de Alcántara, the church of La Trinidad, and the house of the Guzmanes. Continuing through this area, which is full of pretty side streets such as Calleja de las Flores and plazas such as that of Seneca, we can contemplate the minaret of the Plaza de San Juan, the baroque church of La Encarnación, the mosque of Santa Clara, and the Palace of the Páez family (in the Plaza Jerónimo Páez), which contains the Provincial Archaeological Museum ( Tuesday from 14:30 to 20:30, Wednesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 20:30 and Sunday from 9:00 to 14:30; free except for non-EU citizens, who must pay 1.50 €).

Posada del Potro

Right in the centre to delimit the Jewish quarter on its north-east side runs the Calle San Fernando, which was the main commercial axis of the city in former times and is characterised by its two-spout fountain. It can be reached from the Arco del Portillo from Almedina to Ajerquía, which in Muslim times were separated by a wall of which the renovated turret that watches over the Casa de los Marqueses del Carpio survives. In the Calle Lucano there is an architectural complex of medieval origin, which revolves around the Plaza del Potro, which is known for its fountain and is where the churches of San Francisco and San Eulogio de la Ajerquía are concentrated, founded in the 13th century as a monastery, the Posada del Potro where Miguel de Cervantes stayed, and the plateresque Hospital de la Caridad which contains two museums: that of Fine Arts ( bus 3 & 7; Tuesday from 14:30 to 20:30, Wednesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 20:30, Sunday from 9:00 to 14:30; free except for non-EU citizens, who must pay 1.50 €) and that of Julio Romero de Torres. Continuing northwards along the Calle de las Armas the visitor crosses the Plaza de las Cañas and La Corredera, which has been declared of cultural interest because of its porticoed arcade on which are superimposed the medieval houses of Doña María Jacinta, the old prison, and the Casa del Corregidor ( bus 3, 7 & 16).

In the nearby Plaza de San Pedro can be found the parish of San Pedro (after the Christian conquest of the city by Ferdinand III, the monarch divided the city into quarters surrounding the churches, giving both the area and the building the same name), in which Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque motifs are combined. If we move towards the Plaza de Aguayo we can contemplate the buildings of the Church of La Regina, the parish of La Magdalena, the Church of the Carmen (with an altarpiece by Valdés Leal), the house of the Knights of Santiago, and the shrine of the Holy Martyrs, with the route ending alongside the Martos mill ( Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:30, on Sundays and holidays from 10:00 to 14:30; adults 2 €, children 1.30 €).

To the north lies the quarter of San Lorenzo, through which the finest images of the city are paraded at Easter, leaving behind monuments such as the churches of San Rafael and El Juramento, San Lorenzo, the church-hospital of Jesus the Nazarene, and the church of Nuestra Señora de Gracia, behind which parish can be found remains of the Marrubial walls from the Almoravid period ( bus 1, 4 & 7).

Patio in the Marqueses de Viana Palace

The hill of San Cayetano through the Puerta of Colodro, a former access point to the Ajerquía walls, is where the quarter of Santa Marina begins ( bus 5, 9, 10, 11 & 12). Built in the 13th century, it is Cordoba’s largest quarter from the late Middle Ages, and has numerous taverns where traditional cooking can be savoured, together with several points of interest such as the churches of San José, Santa Marina, San Agustin, the convent of Santa Isabel de los ángeles, and the Palacio de Viana, a stately home that was extended with adjacent houses and contains works of art and other unique collections ( Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 19:00, weekends from 10:00 to 15:00; full entrance 6 €, patios 3 €). Immediately to the south lies the quarter of San Andrés, a traditional quarter of silk embroiderers that partly retains its Muslim design, with buildings such as the churches of San Pablo and San Andrés and the convent of Santa Marta, together with civil constructions such as the house of the Luna family or the Palacio de los Villalones ( bus 1, 4 & 7).

If we continue towards the west we come to the wide Plaza de Colón, which is surrounded by the gardens of La Merced and flanked by the Malmuerta tower to the north and by the former Convento de la Merced, the current county council offices, to the south-west, from which we reach the Plaza de los Capuchinos, better known as that of the Cristo de los Faroles, where the convent church of the Santo ángel stands ( bus 5, 9, 10, 11 & 12). This plaza crowns the Cuesta del Bailío, which divides the city into high and low districts, protecting the Casa del Bailío with its plateresque gate. Continuing southwards we find the Palacio de Torres Cabrera, the Plazas de las Capuchinas and de San Miguel, and the Circulo de la Amistad, near to which stand the Town Hall, the Real Convento de San Pedro and the remains of a 1st-century Roman temple that still retains its original Corinthian capitals.

Around the popular Plaza de las Tendillas a route can be followed that adds the most traditional flavour of Cordoba to its unquestionable monumental value ( bus 3, 7, 12 & 16). The plaza owes its name to the shops (tiendas) that used to exist there in former times, soothed by the sound of a clock that strikes the hour with Flamenco guitar rhythms. To the east, the Plaza de la Compañía represents the heart of the souk, where the churches of El Salvador and Santo Domingo de Silos can be found, together with the school of Santa Catalina where Góngora studied. If we go back along the Calle Gondomar (where it joins the Avenida del Gran Capitán) we come to the Gran Teatro (theatre) and the church of San Hipólito, and on the Paseo de la Victoria the Roman Mausoleum and Amphitheatre, which give way to the Agricultural Gardens and the Botanical Gardens ( Tuesday from 10:00 to 14:00, Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 20:00; adults 2 €, children 1.30 €).

Cordoba Card ( 902 088 908) is a one week tourist card which 6 different packs of access to main museums and monuments, bus tickets to Madinat al-Zahra’s archaeological ground, flamenco shows and guided tours to old town. Packs costs from 15.50 € to 43 € depending on the selected one, and can be purchased at tourist offices of train station, plaza de las Tendillas and Campo Santo de los Martires.

surroundings

Madinat al-Zahra

MEDINA AZAHARA

Eight km southwest from Cordoba trough A-431 & CP-119 roads to Almodóvar del Río are the rests of the beautiful city of Madinat al-Zahra, prototype of Caliphate art. Madinat al-Zahra is the sumptuous palatine city that Caliph Ab’d al-Rahman III ordered to be built at the feet of the Sierra Morena in order to project a powerful image of the recently-created Independent Caliphate of Cordoba. Over 10,000 men worked on its construction for 25 years, using the best materials: marbles, precious metals, tiles, polychrome stones, etc.

The city was organised into three walled terraces. The upper part held the Alcázar Real, with the monarch and his family’s private quarters; the middle terrace held the palace’s bureaucratic and administrative sections, with rooms and gardens for holding audiences and receptions while the lower terrace was given over to the population’s dwellings, the market and the mosque. The complex’s Salón Rico was famous for its outstanding beauty with ivory and ebony archways, gold and precious stones and a bowl of mercury that caught the sun’s rays and reflected them in a thousand different colours. In 1010, after seven decades of life, Medina Azahara was sacked and destroyed by the Berbers who razed most of this fabulous city to the ground. Lot of their ruins where used for building palaces and churches until it was named as National Heritage in 1923 ( bus stops in Red Cross Hospital roundabout & Paseo de la Victoria, 15, in fornt of Roamn Mausoleum, from 16th September to April 30th Tuesday to Sunday at 9:30 & 10:15, Saturday at 9:30, 10:15 & 15:00, from 1st May to 15th September Tuesday to Saturday at 10:15 & 17:00, Sunday at 9:30 & 10:15, return from 16th September to 30th April Tuesday to Sunday at 13:00 & 13:45, Saturday at 13:00, 13:45 & 18:30, from 1st May to 15th September Tuesday to Saturday at 13:45 & 20:30, Sunday at 13:00 & 13:45; ruins from 16th september to 30th April Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:30, from 1st May to 15th September 10:00 to 20:30, Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00; bus adults 7 €, under 12 years 3.50 €; free entrance in Madinat al-Zahra except for non-EU citizens, who must pay 1.50 €; Cordoba Card offers a tour to the archaeological ground starting from Av. del Alcázar & Paseo de la Victoria, reservation required).