Cabra – Parish Church, Olive Oil Museums and Trails

Culture and History

The Holy Week of Cabra was recognised as a Festival of National Tourist Interest in 1989. The period from 3 to 8 September is considered the time frame for a festival in Cabra; it has been celebrated in its present form since 1945.

The oldest district of Cabra is located in the area of ancient Licabrum, from which Egabro later emerged. The parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción y Ángeles has medieval origins and was built over a former Muslim mosque. Its interior has five naves with 44 red marble columns, as well as a high altar made of red and black marble.

The Museo de Arte Sacro de la Hermandad del Buen Fin has four exhibition areas: the Capilla de Capuchinos, a heritage hall, a hall dedicated to the Holy Week of Cabra and a temporary exhibitions hall. The Archaeological Museum of Cabra has been housed since 1984 in the former Banco de España building, now the Casa de la Cultura. The Natural History Museum of Cabra originated from a century-old educational museum; its collections were built up through numerous acquisitions and significant donations from students, former students and people associated with the city and the institution.

The Museo del Aceite “El Molino Viejo” is housed in a stone building that is an example of 19th-century industrial architecture, and displays various methods and equipment for extracting olive oil. The Olive Oil Museum showcases esparto weaving, presses, storage systems, belt-driven mills, as well as a 17th-century beam mill made of oak and limestone. At Cabra railway station, an olive interpretation centre houses a replica of a railway station from the years 1920 to 1930, as well as exhibitions on the history of the oil train, the region’s olive groves and the Vía Verde de la Subbética.

Cabra is highlighted on a themed route together with Priego de Córdoba, Lucena, Encinas Reales, Benamejí, Rute and Iznájar as a place with exceptional examples of Baroque art. The APP RUTA HISTÓRICA DE CABRA offers a self-guided route through the historic districts.

Nature

Cabra lies wholly or partly within the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park, which has been recognised as a UNESCO Geopark. The Fuente del Río is a karst spring in the Sierra de Cabra, landscaped with gardens and trees, and has been classified, among other designations, as an asset of special cultural interest, a natural site of special interest and a notable stand of trees.

The trail to the Sima de Cabra leads, with impressive views of the Sierras Subbéticas and the depression of the Guadalquivir Valley, to a cave with a long history and numerous legends. It initially passes through olive groves and then through natural vegetation with holm oaks, hawthorns, pistachio shrubs, mastic shrubs and impressive old Portuguese oaks; birds of prey and other wildlife can be observed along the way.

Trails Through the Countryside

The Vía Verde uses disused railway lines of the Subbética, formerly travelled by the oil train, for cycling and walking routes through the interior of Andalusia. The Vía Verde del Aceite has six rest areas with benches, tables with benches, bins and bicycle racks.

The Cabra-Los Pelaos trail begins at the Vía Verde del Aceite, runs under a bridge parallel to a path and passes the Fuente de los Frailes and a Roman quarry.

Other Places

Alcaracejos, La Guijarrosa, Villaharta, Doña Mencía, Cardeña, Añora, Villanueva Del Duque and Villanueva De Córdoba.

To the main travel overview: Cordoba.