Andalusia

Malaga is a bustling port city by the clear blue Mediterranean Sea It is characterised by historical treasures as well as beautiful beaches. One of the most famous Spaniards of this century was the Malagueño Pablo Picasso. Picasso's traces run through the entire city to the famous Picasso Museum. Furthermore, the imposing cathedral, the Moorish Alcazaba fortress and the Gibralfaro castle are waiting to be discovered. The old town, the Moorish castle, and cathedral testify to the former prosperity of the city.

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In the morning, an approximately 2 hour bus transfer will take you to the beautiful city of Granada. Here you will find the most important historical monument of Andalusia with Arab influences: the fabulous Alhambra (the red castle) has existed since the 9th century and it used to be a fortress in earlier times. In the evening, you will get to Antequera, the starting point of the bike tour.

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At the gates of the kingdom of Granada, the historic city of Antequera is waiting with its collection of red tiled roofs and 30 steeples. The bike tour will begin with a ride on the old railway line through the beautiful countryside to Lucena. In one of the most important olive oil-producing regions of the world, the famous oil is pressed in the mills.

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You will continue your journey along the old railway line passing vast olive groves to Baena. The inhabitants of Baena live mainly off of agriculture and are very tradition-conscious people. This is also reflected in the townscape of Baena, which is located on a hill. It is characterized by narrow streets that wind their way through the old town and where you can find interesting religious buildings such as the Church of Santa Maria la Mayor from the 16th century or the old castle.

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The Sierra Morena, with its foothills, frames the former European Capital of Culture. This romantic area is surrounded by pine forests and an impressive solitude. The route leads on almost empty streets mostly downhill, with one slightly longer and some shorter climbs towards Córdoba. Every now and then, you will pass farms, which specialize in the breeding of fighting bulls and enjoy a special reputation in Andalusia. In the evening, you will get the possibility to participate in a city tour and see the witnesses of the dazzling cosmopolitan past: Moorish architects created masterpieces, such as the Great Mosque, which is - besides the Alhambra - the most powerful Moorish building in Europe. Particularly nice are the "forest of a thousand pillars" and the ornate prayer rooms.

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In the wide valley of the Guadalquivir, you will leave Córdoba on an old Roman connecting road. Ecija is the capital of horse breeding. From once important Franciscan monastery in Palma del Rio, the monks journeyed to America to proselytize.

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Marchena, a typical country town of Campiña, lies on a hill overlooking the Rio Carbones. You will continue your tour through the Campiña of Seville, a gently rolling landscape of fertile farmland. Occasionally, you will come across underground-fed inland lagoons, small Mediterranean oak forests and rugged karst formations in the landscape. Carmona is a city that hasn’t changed for 150 years, it has Baroque palaces, churches and monasteries and is surrounded by intact Moorish town walls.

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Today, you will cycle over the gently rolling plateau of Alcores to one of the most fertile agricultural areas in Andalusia. For centuries, Alcalá de Guadaira supplied Seville with bread and water and it is considered to be one of the cradles of flamenco. Former haciendas of the Kingdom of Seville, today just as large farms as in former times, line the road. Our destination is Seville, where three of the most important operas are performed: Don Juan, the seducer; the cunning barber Figaro; and Carmen, the femme fatale, who lost her life somewhere between the tobacco factories and the bullfight arena. Two international exhibitions helped the city to futuristic buildings and great green parks. In the evening we suggest a visit to the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, the Barrio Santa Cruz and the Casa de Pilatos.

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