The forest of arches in the Great Mosque
In the 10th century Córdoba was one of the largest and most learned cities in Europe, capital of the Umayyad caliphate. Its Mezquita-Catedral is breathtaking, a forest of red-and-white striped arches with a Renaissance cathedral built into its heart. Around it, the old Jewish quarter is a tangle of whitewashed lanes, and the Roman bridge crosses the Guadalquivir. In May, residents open their flower-filled courtyards for the Festival de los Patios. Try salmorejo, the local chilled tomato soup.