If you love culture, Spain is a wonderful destination for you. It has cities like Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, and Granada — all of which are teeming with culture. But if you want the most in one place, go no further than Córdoba, in Andalucía.
As of this year, the city boasts the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Located just two hours away by train from Spain’s capital, Madrid, it’s quite easy to get to.
The Mezquita, a mosque widely cited as one of the most breath-taking Islamic structures in the world, is perhaps what the city is most famous for. In addition to the Mezquita, the city center and Córdoba patios festival in the summer were also included on UNESCO’s World Heritage site list.
The city center is saturated with places of interest. In fact, most of the sites to see are located in the city center. These include a synagogue dating back to 1315, the picturesque city walls, and the Roman Bridge.
As for the Córdoba patios festival, visitors can walk down the streets and admire a unique tradition in Córdoba. Traditional patios all over the city center are decorated with flowers that blossom during this beautiful season.
In 2018, UNESCO added to its list a fourth site, Medinat Azahara, which is the caliphate city built by the Umayyads in the mid-10th century. It served as the seat of power for the Caliphate of Córdoba until civil war ripped apart the state. The caliphate was forgotten for almost a millennium until it was rediscovered.
Today, visitors can view the roads, bridges, and everyday items used by the residents of Córdoba when it was Islamic. According to UNESCO, the site “provides in-depth knowledge of the now-vanished Western Islamic civilization of Al-Andalus, at the height of its splendor.”