 Córdoba is North, East of Sevillia. Córdoba is a very lively town in the best Andalusian tradition, a town of Flamenco and bullfighting, and certainly one of the most attractive destinations in southern Spain. In the heart of the city you will find the Mezquita. The elaborate and decorative Islamic arches, pillars and aisles were devised in a time of astonishing creativity in Moorish history and it is in this period that one's imagination must fly to fully appreciate the charm of this unique structure.
 Visit: The Cathedral, The Palace of the Christian Kings, Archaeological Museum, The Museum of Arts, The Museum of Julio Romero de Torres, The Palace of Viana
The Cathedral, known as Capilla Real, was originally a mosque. The Christians consecrated the mosque when they reconquered Cordoba in 1236. It took 234 years to renovate so the original Gothic style is combined with Baroque and Renaissance elements.
Alfonso XI built Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos or The Palace of the Christian Kings in 1328. In the interior of the palace there are remarkable Arabian baths, Roman mosaics and a casket of marble from 3rd century.
Archaeological Museum is inside of a Renaissance palace and is especially interesting for the old-iberian Lion of Nueva Cartella, the Roman Head of Drusus, the visigothic Treasure of Donjimeno and the Arabian Bronce-Stag of Medina Azahara.
The Museum of Arts is placed in the interior of the old Hospital de la Caridad de los Reyes Católicos and has an important collection of paintings and sculptures such as the Zurbarán, Murillo, Goya, Sorolla and Mateo Inurria.
The Museum of Julio Romero de Torres is dedicated to this painter, who is known specially for his pictures of the Woman from Cordoba.
The Palace of Viana has an extraordinary collection of furniture, tapestries, porcelains, ceramics, and paintings. The building itself is impressive with its fourteen courtyards and beautiful gardens.
Just so you know: Outside Córdoba, there are a number of interesting routes, where places such as Medina Azahara, Montilla (centre of the province's wine production) and the Campiña Cordobesa can be visited. The rest of the city is made attractive by the dazzling array of patios, which are usually brimming with colourful flowers and potted plants, never more so than during the annual patio Festival in May, when the locals compete for thebest patio. This is when those private patios, which are usually inaccessible to the public, are opened up.
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