Romanesque carvings, a historic route and an observatory give Villanueva del Duque a varied character. For planning your trip, the town is especially easy to explore through specific interests: cultural history, nature, stargazing and regional cuisine offer different experiences, without needing to combine them all into a single route.

Routes Through Landscape and History

The Vía Verde de la Minería runs for 17.4 kilometres between the former El Soldado railway station in Villanueva del Duque and the municipal boundary with Bélmez. Its surface consists of compacted earth and gravel. Along the route are grazed holm oak groves and gentle hills; at the western end, the landscape becomes more mountainous and the vegetation more varied. The distance and surface give a concrete impression of this route without specifying a walking time.

The Ruta de las Trincheras del Viñón offers a different kind of route: it starts at Estación de Peñas Blancas, passes through El Calerín to the Trincheras del Viñón, and returns to the starting point along a parallel path. The circular route passes through grazed holm oak groves and a mountain range. When comparing routes, you can therefore set the known 17.4-kilometre length of the Vía Verde alongside a route explicitly described as returning to its starting point; no distance is given for the Trincheras route.

The Ruta Villanueva Románica is considerably shorter, at 1.3 kilometres. It connects the Ermita Virgen de Guía with the Museo Tallas Románicas in Iglesia San Mateo. Its focus is on six Romanesque carvings, considered the oldest in Andalusia, and the museum dedicated to them. The routes thus offer different starting points: the landscape and route layout of the Vía Verde, or a short, clearly defined cultural route between two historic sites.

Romanesque Carvings and Local History

The six carvings were discovered in 1955 during construction work in a niche at the Ermita de la Virgen de Guía. They show clear influences from Basque-Navarrese iconography of the second half of the 13th century. The date of their discovery and their stylistic classification tell different parts of their story. The Parroquia de San Mateo Apóstol also offers a historical point of reference: the nave, tower and choir had all been completed by 1551 at the latest.

For more insight into the town’s cultural history, it is also worth exploring the Ruta Cruces de Villanueva. It leads to an open-air museum, fountains, shafts and waterwheels, as well as other water-related architectural features. The Museo de la Antigua Molina offers a different focus: an old stone mill, a hydraulic press and settling tanks illustrate traditional methods of olive oil production.

Starry Skies and Nature

At the Observatorio Astronómico de Villanueva del Duque, visitors can observe stars, planets and the universe; the facility combines public outreach with research. The five-metre dome can accommodate groups of up to twelve people. Next to the observatory is an astronomical viewpoint with two information panels about the night sky. There is also a power supply for using your own telescopes. This offers both guided stargazing and the chance to navigate the night sky with your own equipment.

The landscape can also be explored through several distinct features. Extensive grazed holm oak groves lie south of Villanueva del Duque; higher-altitude areas include the source of the River Cuzna and the Sierra del Viñón. The mountain range also has pine forests and dense vegetation that shelter wild boar and deer. Common birds there include jackdaws and kestrels. These natural features complement the cultural routes rather than being linked to them as part of an unsupported single route.

Cuisine and Living Traditions

Traditional cuisine includes products from pig slaughter as well as lamb’s tail, migas, escabeche, sobrehusa, ajo and cachorreñas. Baked goods include hornazo, eaten on Easter Sunday. Extra virgin olive oil from the region is used in both traditional dishes and baked goods. The Ruta del Aceite tour ends with a tasting of oil from the Sierra de Villanueva del Duque.

Festivals also offer a glimpse into local traditions. The festival in honour of the Santísima Virgen de Guía is celebrated on Easter Monday. It includes a procession to the hermitage, a bonfire, dancing the Jota serreña and circle games. A pilgrimage procession from Fuente la Lancha to Villanueva del Duque is made on foot, on horseback and in carriages, accompanied by singing and dancing. If you would like to plan your trip around a festival, check the dates for the relevant year’s celebration.

Discover more destinations: Torrecampo, Villafranca De Córdoba, Alcaracejos, Benamejí, El Tarajal, Montoro, Fuente Tójar, Dos Torres

For the broader travel overview: Cordoba.