Discover Cordoba, Spain

Cordoba is located in the Andalusia region of southern Spain - northwest of Granada, northeast of Seville and southwest of Madrid. It is the capital of the province of Cordoba. It's strategic location on the north bank of the Guadalquivir River provides scenic photo and other visual art opportunities.

Cordoba is easily accessible by train, bus or car; however you won't need a car once you've arrived as most of the city can be visited on foot, bicycle, or by using the excellent city bus system. You can take a train directly from Madrid, or Seville and Malaga; if you're traveling from Toledo to Cordoba, you will need to take a train to Madrid and then switch trains to travel to Cordoba as there are no direct trains from Toledo to Cordoba.

We took the train from Toledo and then used a city bus to reach our budget hotel. We then visited the historic center and part of the modern city on foot.

(Note that in Spanish, Andalusia is spelled "Andalucia".)
{Map of Spain - public domain map courtesy of the CIA World Factbook.}

Cordoba's mosque/cathedral, widely known as the Mezquita, is without a doubt the city's main tourist attraction. It is the finest example of Moorish architecture in all of Spain and the entrance fee is worth every penny (technically, every centime). Although I had seen photographs of the Mezquita's interior, I was not prepared for the experience of being there and the incredible detail in the architecture and artwork. It is defintely a must-see that you will always remember.

There are also numerous other attractions in Cordoba - one of them being the Puente romano (Roman Bridge) which traverses the Guadalquivir River. Both sides of the bridge provide great photo ops - especially looking towards the historic center. Other attractions include the synagogue, the Torre de la Calahorra (the tower on the Roman Bridge), the Palacio de Viana, la Puerta de Almodovar (Moorish gate), as well as various museums, the Plaza de los Dolores and the Jewish quarter.

Although most visitors visit Cordoba on a day trip or stay only one night, we opted for a two-night stay in order to have time to visit the Mezquita and the rest of the historic center as well as part of the modern city; otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to see all of that at a leisurely pace.

{Photo taken in the interior of Cordoba's Mezquita/cathedral, the town's top tourist attraction and the largest mosque in the western world. Photo copyright Heidi Brault. }

View of Cordoba by bridgemanart
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