Cordoba Museums

(Cordoba, Andalucia, Spain)

There are only so many museum visits that you can fit into one holiday, which makes it very difficult to select which of Cordoba's many cultural attractions you are going to visit.

You could start with one of the city's oldest tourist draws, the Museum of Fine Arts. However, to get a good overall picture of Cordoba's history, taking in its Roman and Moorish periods, it might be best to head first to the city's Archaeological Museum.

Before venturing out on a sightseeing tour of these Spanish attractions, it is worth checking that you have the correct opening hours. Many operate a complex system, which changes depending on whether it is winter or summer.

Archaeological Museum (Museo Auqueológico)

Address: Plaza de Jerónimo Páez 7, Cordoba, Spain
Cordoba's Museo Auqueológico is the home of a particularly fine collection of artefacts that date back to the Iberian, Roman and Moorish periods of the city's history. The museum's upper floor is devoted entirely to Moorish history. It includes a bronze statue of a deer that was excavated in the Medina Azahara. Visitors can also admire the remnants of a 1st-century AD Roman theatre, which came to light when the present modern building was under construction. Also on display is a particularly fine statue of Aphrodite, as well as a Roman mosaic of Pegasus, the mythological winged horse.
Open: November to April, Tuesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 20:30, Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00; May to October, daily - 10:00 to 14:00 and 18:00 to 20:00
Admission: charge

Diocesan Museum (Museo Dicesano)

Address: Calle de Torrijos 12, Cordoba, Spain
Away from the main tourist trail, the Museo Dicesano is Cordoba's main repository of religious art. Among its collection are some interesting tapestries and prayer books. One room is reserved for displaying the work of local artists. The museum is housed in a former bishop's palace, which is architecturally of note in its own right.
Open: daily, November to April - 10:00 to 13:30 and 15:30 to 17:30; May to October - 16:00 to 19:00
Admission: charge

Regina Museum (Museo de Joyeria Regina)

Address: Plaza Don Luis Venegas 1, Cordoba, Spain
The Museo de Joyeria Regina is dedicated to the famous jewellers of Cordoba. Guided tours are available, while visitors can buy souvenirs of their visit at the onsite shop.
Open: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 20:00, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 20:00
Admission: charge

Museum of al-Andalus / Calahorra Tower

Address: Puente Romano, Cordoba, Spain
Inside the Calahorra Tower, technological wizardry has been put to good use, allowing visitors to step back in time to see how Muslims, Jews and Christians lived in Cordoba many years ago.
Open: November to April, daily - 10:00 to 18:00; May to October, daily - 10:00 to 20:30
Admission: charge

Patio Museum / Viana Palace (Palacio-Museo de Viana)

Address: Plaza de Don Gome, 2, Cordoba, Spain
Housed within the 14th-century Viana Palace, the Palacio-Museo de Viana is best known for its multitude of courtyards - 12 in total. Each is a verdant square of palm and orange trees, as well as myrtle plants and cypresses. Viana Palace is one of the largest privately owned palaces in Spain. Most important of all is the fact that the palace and its gardens represent centuries of Spanish architecture, from the 1400s right through to modern times. The artwork on display in the palace is impressive. As well as tapestries that hail from Flanders, there are also paintings from the school of Brueghel, along with an extensive library.
Open: May to October, daily - 09:00 to 14:00; November to April, Tuesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 19:00, Sunday - 10:00 to 15:00
Admission: charge

Inquisition Museum (Galeria de la Inquisición)

Address: Calle Manriquez, 1, Cordoba, Spain
As you would expect, the Galeria de la Inquisición-Europa borders on the gruesome, recounting over 700 years of the history of torture in Spain. Exhibits include reproductions of the various instruments of torture that were commonly used in medieval times and up to the 19th century.
Open: daily - 10:30 to 20:30
Admission: charge

Synagogue

Address: Calle Judios 20, Cordoba, Spain
Cordoba's Synagogue is unique in that it is the only one in Andalucia. Over the centuries, the building has served many purposes, from hospital to hermitage and finally a nursery school. At the end of the 19th century, restoration work began on the building, which sits at the heart of the city's Jewish quarter. Today, the Synagogue serves as a museum and houses many religious exhibits relating to its history.
Open: Tuesday to Saturday - 09:30 to 14:00 and 15:30 to 17:30, Sunday - 09:30 to 13:30
Admission: charge