Roman Bridge and Calahorra Tower

The Roman bridge is Córdoba’s great free experience. For some two thousand years a bridge has crossed the Guadalquivir here, carrying the Via Augusta into the city, and although it has been rebuilt many times, above all in the Moorish and later periods, it still rests on a line of arches across the wide, slow river. Walking across it from the Puerta del Puente, the Renaissance gate beside the Mezquita, you pass a statue of the Archangel Raphael, the city’s guardian, often decorated with candles and flowers, and look down on the old water mills and the reed beds where herons and egrets fish. At the far end stands the Calahorra Tower, a defensive gate fortress that protected the southern entrance to the city. Arab sources mention a fortification here, the enclosure with flanking towers was rebuilt in the twelfth century, and its horseshoe archway served as an extra gate. Today the tower houses the Living Museum of al-Andalus, which tells the story of the period when Muslim, Jewish and Christian cultures lived together in Córdoba, with displays on science, philosophy and daily life. The bridge also became famous to television fans when it appeared in Game of Thrones.

How to do it: start at the Puerta del Puente and walk slowly across, stopping midway for the view of the Mezquita rising above the city walls, which is the most photographed panorama in Córdoba. On the far side, visit the Calahorra Tower, where the museum is laid out over several floors, with an audiovisual presentation and models, including a reconstruction of the Mezquita as it once was. The tower has a modest entry fee and opening hours set by the museum; the Consorcio de Turismo de Córdoba lists them on its museums and monuments timetable page. The bridge itself is pedestrian, free and open at all hours.

When to go: the light is best in the early morning, when the river is calm and the bridge almost empty, and at sunset, when the Mezquita glows gold and the lamps come on. After dark, the floodlit monuments are beautiful and the bridge is a favourite evening walk for locals. Summer middays are scorching on this unshaded stretch; in November, the afternoon sun is pleasant.

Around it: on the city side, the Triumph of San Rafael monument and the Mezquita’s south wall are steps away, and riverside paths lead west towards the Alcázar and the Caliphal Baths. On the far bank, the Miraflores area has gardens and a modern footbridge for a different view. Combine the bridge with the Mezquita in the morning, or end a day of sightseeing here with the sunset before dinner.