Access Córdoba Three cities on the same ground.
The arches of the Mezquita-Catedral
CÓRDOBA · ANDALUSIA

Three cities stand on this ground, and none of them was cleared away.

Roman Corduba, then Umayyad Qurtuba — for a stretch of the 10th century one of the largest cities on earth — then Christian Córdoba from 1236. Each was built into the last rather than over it, and the Mezquita is that argument standing up in one building.

Benjamin Smith, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Córdoba in brief

CountrySpain — Andalusia, in the province of the same name
PopulationAround 320,000 in the city
LanguageSpanish. English is common in the old city and thins fast outside it
CurrencyEuro
Getting around⭐ On foot. The old city is about a kilometre across and largely pedestrian
ArrivingOn the high-speed line — Seville and Málaga are an easy day, Madrid a long one
⚠️ SummerJune to September the middle of the day is genuinely hostile. Plan around it
⚠️ MayThe patio festival fills the city. Best time to come, hardest time to get a bed
785the mosque is begun
over 800columns still standing
936Medina Azahara founded
1236the city turns Christian
freeto walk the Patio de los Naranjos
~1 kmacross the old city

Start here

Ten sections. The city is small enough to walk in a morning and layered enough to take three days, so these are ordered by what people actually come for.

THE BUILDING THE CITY IS ABOUTThe Mezquita-CatedralFour building campaigns over two centuries, a cathedral inserted in the middle of it, and nothing demolished to make room.TWENTY PLACES, ONE PAGE EACHLandmarks & SightsEvery sight in Córdoba worth your time, with the walk from the Mezquita and what it costs you.THE CITY UNDER THE CITYAl-AndalusFor most of the 10th century the capital of Islamic Iberia was here, and it was one of the largest cities in the world.COURTYARDS PEOPLE LIVE INThe PatiosPrivate courtyards their owners open to strangers — and the one month the whole city turns into them.COLD SOUP, FRIED THINGS, FORTIFIED WINEFood & DrinkWhat Córdoba actually eats, and why so much of it is served cold.THE PROVINCE, AND TWO CITIES DOWN THE LINEDay TripsCastles, white villages, wine towns — and two Andalusian capitals within reach by train.HALF A DAY TO THREEItinerariesWhat to do with the time you actually have, built around the heat and what is shut.ON FOOT, MOSTLYGetting AroundThe old city is about a kilometre across and closed to most traffic. You will walk.CORDUBA, BEFORE ANY OF ITRoman CórdobaA provincial capital that produced Seneca, and left more under the city than on top of it.THE REASON THE CITY IS HEREThe GuadalquivirNavigable from the Atlantic once, and the reason a Roman capital sat on this bend.

All twenty sights

The Mezquita-CatedralThe Mezquita-CatedralPatio de los NaranjosPatio de los NaranjosPuente RomanoPuente RomanoPuerta del PuentePuerta del PuenteTorre de la CalahorraTorre de la CalahorraAlcázar de los Reyes CristianosAlcázar de los Reyes CristianosThe JuderíaThe JuderíaThe SynagogueThe SynagogueCalleja de las FloresCalleja de las FloresMedina AzaharaMedina AzaharaPalacio de VianaPalacio de VianaPlaza de la CorrederaPlaza de la CorrederaTemplo RomanoTemplo RomanoBaños del Alcázar CalifalBaños del Alcázar CalifalTorre de la MalmuertaTorre de la MalmuertaCaballerizas RealesCaballerizas RealesCristo de los FarolesCristo de los FarolesMercado VictoriaMercado VictoriaMuseo ArqueológicoMuseo ArqueológicoThe Patios of San BasilioThe Patios of San Basilio

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