A tangle of narrow medieval streets surrounding the Mezquita, the Old City sits just uphill from the muddy Guadalquivir River and contains the vast majority of Cordoba's tourist attractions. North and west of the Mezquita sits the Jewish Quarter, a neighborhood which dates from the late Middle Ages and offers an interesting stroll, some lovely patios and a few scant reminders of the Jewish population that once lived here.
Roman Bridge (Puente Romano). A Roman-style bridge over the shallow Guadalquivir River that was once the main crossing over the river, securing Cordoba's importance to the region. The entrance to the bridge is marked by a triumphal arch and an adjacent single-column monument and it crosses to an old fortified gate (now a museum, described below) on the other side. �
Museum of Al-Andalus Life (Museo Vivo de Al-Andalus), C/ Puente Romano (at the opposite end of the Roman Bridge), ☎ +34 957 293 929, . October-April 10:00-18:00, May-September, 10:00-14:00 and 16:30-20:30. A history museum located in the Torre de la Calahorra, which once served as the old fortified gate to the city. Upon entering the museum the greeters (who speak good English) have you don a headset which will explain the exhibits and artifacts on Muslim Andalusia you will view as you walk from room to room. The narrators take a very philosophical take on the whole thing and their descriptions of Islam may come off as rather flowery, but the artifacts are worth a look and the balcony on the top of the tower offers an excellent view of the river and the city.€4.50, €3 children. �
Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos, C/ Caballerizas Reales. Tu-F 8:30-19:30, Sa 9:30-16:30, Su 9:30-14:30. Built in the 8th century as a caliphate residence on the site of a Visigoth fortress, the Alcazar was used as the residence and fortress of Ferdinand and Isabella (the "Christian Monarchs" for whom the building is now named) as well as a headquarters for the Spanish Inquisition. The fortress, with its artifacts (including a series of Roman mosaics and a Roman sarcophagus) and two towers is now open for touring, but the main attraction here is the lush and beautiful gardens on the site.€4, free on Wednesdays. �
Calle de las Flores, (near the Mezquita, on the tower side). A beautiful narrow street, full of flowers with a wonderful tiny square at the end and excellent views of the Mezquita's Tower framed by the buildings lining the street. �
Synagogue (La Sinagoga), C/ Judíos (in the Jewish Quarter). Tu-Sa 10:00-14:00 and 15:30-17:30, Su and holidays 10:00-14:00. A small but beautifully preserved synagogue - one of only three remaining in Spain - the structure was built in 1315 and consists of a single small, square room with high ceilings and gorgeous Mudejar decorative plaster on the walls.Technically €0.30, but you may find no one staffing the door, in which case it's free. �
Casa de Sefarad.
City Wall.
Plaza del Potro - A small old square where Don Quijote de la Macha stayed in one of his adventures. You can find there a nice fountain with a small horse and a 'Triunfo de San Rafael'. Julio Romero de Torres local painter Museum and Fine Arts Museum are also located in this place.
Plaza de la Corredera - The only 'Plaza Mayor cerrada' (closed main square) in Andalucía.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Cordoba (city, Spain)
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Cordoba (city, Spain) Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
