10 Things to Do in Cordoba at Holy Week

Cordoba is a very important city in southern Spain, both for its impressive historical past and for the preservation of its architectural and cultural heritage. In fact, a large part of the best things to see and do in Cordoba have to do with exploring its main tourist attractions, as well as some of its traditions.

So in this post I will briefly explain the plans that are available to you during a visit to this part of Andalusia during the days of Semana Santa (Holy Week). This is something that will help you understand the type of trip you could enjoy and help you plan your time and money accordingly.

One of the first things you should enjoy as you pass through the city of Cordoba during Holy Week are the processions organised by the different Catholic brotherhoods and confraternities to commemorate the passion of Christ from his arrival in Jerusalem to his resurrection the following Sunday. The number of people who participate in these religious processions is not as significant as in other cities, but at the same time the importance of the traditions for the people of Cordoba is just as special.

Most of the processions begin on Holy Wednesday and are basically the typical urban routes in which the streets of the historic centre are taken to commemorate specific moments of Christ's passion such as the last supper or the agony of his death. In the case of Cordoba, you should know that these processions are characterised by an awe-inspiring silence that demonstrates the respect this city has for these religious traditions.

However, there is also the fact that these processions will not take up the whole of your days, so it would be advisable to take advantage of the opportunity to take part in some of the best guided tours of Cordoba. Especially because with the accompaniment of a specialist you will learn important details about the history of the traditions of Holy Week and their connection with some of the city's buildings and monuments.

The cultural offer during Holy Week is one of the most diverse of the whole year and has to do with the fact that the city becomes an important tourist destination due to its religious traditions. One of the most important exhibitions during this time of spring is the Cordoba Photography Biennial, which usually occupies different corners of the city with exhibitions by local and foreign photographers.

The Cordoba Fine Arts Museum and the city's Municipal Bullfighting Museum also usually have special opening hours that extend the possibility for a larger number of people to enjoy their permanent exhibitions. They are joined by the Centro de Creación Contemporánea de Andalucía and the Museo Julio Romero de Torres.

My recommendation if you wish to visit these cultural institutions is to opt for a combined ticket that allows you to pay a single fee to enter different museums in the city. You should also know that the tourist buses of Cordoba are a good alternative to move around the city and get to the different neighbourhoods where these museums are located without any inconvenience.

The Andalusian patios are another of the most interesting features of the city's urban landscape. They are spaces belonging to the most traditional houses which are usually painted white and filled with plants that create a real oasis in the middle of the arid climate of Cordoba. As a result of this importance, the city council took the initiative a couple of years ago to recover a Holy Week custom that comes directly from the 19th century.

This consists in the fact that during the early hours of Maundy Thursday, people who are in Cordoba have the possibility of visiting some Cordoban patios belonging to private residences or government institutions free of charge. This is inspired by the tradition of friends and family visiting other people's homes to commemorate the eventual death and resurrection of Jesus Christ at an altar.

Likewise, if your visit during Holy Week does not coincide with the dawn of Maundy Thursday, you should also know that the Cordoban courtyards are one of those attractions that you cannot miss on a three-day trip to Cordoba during most of the year. In fact, these corners of the city are one of the main attractions of another spring-themed tourist fair that takes place in mid-May.

In Cordoba there are also culinary customs typical of Easter Week , as is the case in so many places in Spain. This has to do with the fact that from Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday many people decide to join in the custom of not eating meat during Lent.

One of the most characteristic dishes is usually snails. This is due to the fact that the appearance of these animals due to the arrival of spring has allowed different peculiar recipes to be created over the years. Just like the snails that are included in Valencian paella. The more traditional sweets such as gajorros and cuajo are other protagonists when it comes to Cordovan culinary inventions for Easter.

In any case, the gastronomic exploration of Lenten dishes is something that can be complemented in different ways and my recommendation is that you do it during dinner. That's because you can continue the evening by taking part in some of the best things to do in Cordoba at night, which is even more recommendable if you take into account that this is one of the best times of the year to go out drinking in the city.

Visiting the city of Cordoba at any time of the year and not taking advantage of the moment to take a good tour of its historic quarter is a very wrong decision. The fact is that this city has the highest number of Unesco World Heritage Sites in the world. In addition, outside these official titles there are also a large number of other historical wonders that deserve to be known by tourists who come to the city.

So opting for a guided tour is a good way to familiarise yourself with the city's most important sites. These include the Roman Bridge of Cordoba, the El Arenal Exhibition Centre, the Cordoba Synagogue and the Los Califas Bullring. Neighbourhoods such as La Judería and La Magdalena are other areas not to be missed, as well as other attractions such as the Plaza de la Corredera and the Roman Temple.

The best thing about these guided tours is that they are usually reserved for relatively small groups of people, which guarantees that all your questions will be answered by the history specialist who accompanies you on the tour. Any time of day is good for this type of tour, although as it is Easter week, it is preferable to opt for a tour that takes place during the evening. Especially because of the influx of tourists that characterises this time of year.

Cordoba's main historical tourist attraction is a site that is peculiar not only for its architecture but also for the different changes it has undergone throughout its existence. It is the city's Mosque-Cathedral and is basically a site that was built as a mosque during the 8th century. After several extensions it became the second largest mosque on the planet after Mecca, but in the 13th century, during the Christian conquest, it was consecrated as a cathedral.

After that time and in the 16th century a Renaissance basilica was finally built within the same pre-existing structure that had been left over from the mosque. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered one of the greatest architectural treasures of Andalusia as well as of the Spanish historical heritage.

Exactly for these reasons this is a place you cannot miss during your visit to Cordoba during the Holy Week. Especially if you take into account that there is a great connection with the religious history of this place. In fact, a large part of the Catholic processions during Holy Week usually include some parts of the Mosque-Cathedral in their route. Especially the Patio de los Naranjos, which is the garden of the Cathedral.

My recommendation is to opt for a guided tour with tickets to the Mosque of Cordoba, as this way you will not miss any important details about the past and present of this Cordovan treasure.

Cordoba's architectural heritage is not restricted to the city centre. Many of the surrounding villages that form part of the province of Cordoba also have sites worth visiting, and one of these places is the Castle of Almodóvar. Visiting the Castle of Almodovar is a good option for those who want to escape the large crowds at Easter in Cordoba.

This building is also known as the Castle of the forest and is distinguished by being on a hill that is locally called El Redondo. Basically it is a fortress with several structural stages that once belonged to the Roman Empire. Nowadays it is a construction that after several modifications has a Berber origin located in the year 760.

The place is characterised by fulfilling all the patterns of medieval architecture and at the same time it is a site that played a decisive role in many of the strategies of the Catholic Church during the Castilian expansion in the Andalusian territory. This place is approximately 48 minutes from the bus station in Cordoba. Therefore, it could be the perfect getaway if you are looking for plans that allow you to get to know a little more of this part of the autonomous community of Andalusia.

Right next to Cordoba Zoo is the city's botanical garden. This space has areas that are suitable for spending a whole afternoon walking and enjoying nature in the heart of the city. Inside, you will also find the Ethnobotanical Museum of Cordoba and the sum of these places with the zoo can be perfect entertainment alternatives if you are looking for things to see and do in Cordoba with children.

And it is an indisputable fact that Easter has to be an interesting holiday for the whole family. Therefore, I advise you to balance the exploration of the great architectural and historical treasures of the city with other plans that are entertaining for your children, because that way everyone on the trip will be enjoying the experience of getting to know one of the most beautiful cities in Andalusia.

Another important aspect of the Holy Week processions are the religious images that the brotherhoods and brotherhoods take out of their temples to walk through the streets. The importance of these elements has to do with the beauty that characterises them. They are true works of art that sometimes belong to the list of creations of the best masters in the history of Spanish religious sculpture.

As for the images most venerated by the people of Cordoba, you should know that the image of the Resurrected Christ is worthy of being appreciated and can be seen in the parish church of Nuestra Señora de Gracia. On the other hand, the carving of the Cristo del Remedio de Ánimas which leaves the church of San Lorenzo is another of the city's most representative processions. In fact, the image of this Jesus Christ is so beautiful by artistic standards that it is considered to be one of the city's greatest historical heritages.

In the province of Cordoba you will find the Sierras Subbeticas Nature Reserve. This is a place that offers some of the best hiking routes in the whole of the Andalusian region. This makes it an ideal place to go and enjoy nature during Easter Week. At least if this is the type of plan you are interested in for your visit to the city of Cordoba.

My recommendation for visiting this place is to hire a private car and explore the area in greater peace and comfort. However, if you want a getaway where you don't have to worry about any logistics, then you can enjoy the excursions to Medina Azahara from Cordoba.

Especially because these ruins also offer you the chance to enjoy the natural scenery that characterises this part of Andalusia. Another recommendation I can make is that you try to do these excursions at the beginning of Easter Week, as at the end of it there will be a greater demand due to an increase in the number of tourists.