The best traffic-free bike rides around Las Colonias

This road through the Sierra de Hornachuelos Natural Park is very quiet and runs through a beautiful forest landscape.

Straight unimpeded view of the historic Almodóvar Castle, rising on a conical hill with the little town on the east.

Almodóvar del Río Castle, an imposing building located on a hill, El Redondo, near the Guadalquivir River and about 25 kilometers from Córdoba. Almodóvar Castle has recently seen even more visitors due to its location in the filming of the famous series "Game of Thrones." Because it is so well preserved, many directors have their eyes on this fortress.

The municipality was founded under the leadership of the enlightened Pablo de Olavide and, by 1767, had a Central European population. Funded by the state at the request of King Charles III, the colonization was intended to promote agriculture and industry in an uninhabited area threatened by bandits, as well as to increase the security of the royal road connecting Madrid with Cadiz. Initially, the municipality belonged administratively to La Carlota, which, along with other municipalities, was also founded on this occasion.

Sebastian, and Easter eggs. It's safe to say that San Sebastián's colonial and "German" roots are still very present among its residents today, and they are often proud of them, so much so that even the local first name is "Sebastianenses" or "Alemanes." But... what about the language? Why has nothing of the language of these settlers survived to this day? The majority of the population was, of course, German, since the French settlers also came from German-speaking areas. It is believed that the first settlers and their children spoke exclusively German. However, when they came into contact with the locals, they had to learn Spanish. Therefore, it is quite possible that for several decades they spoke German among themselves, especially at home, and Spanish on the street or at work. Certainly, there were German expressions used when speaking Spanish, or words from both languages were mixed when speaking (as happens today in Gibraltar, where they speak the famous "Spanglish," a mixture of English and Spanish). Over the years and across generations, the German language fell into disuse until, almost 250 years later, it reached what it is today. It is striking that (at least as far as I know) there is not a single vernacular word or expression in German or of German origin. Proof that German expressions continued to exist in everyday life even when the Sebastianians spoke Spanish was provided to me by a good friend from the city named Sebastian. This man, about 55 years old, remembers how, when he was very young, his grandmother, who was already very old, fed the chickens instead of calling them with a voice of "PITAS, PITAS, PITAS!" He called them in German: KOMM, KOMM, KOMM! (come, come, come).

The castle "Castillo de Almodóvar" is an impressive fortress that stands prominently on the El Redondo hill. In the 20th century, the castle was extensively restored by Rafael Desmaissières y Farina, Count of Torralva. This work gave the castle its current striking appearance, which seems very medieval, although many elements have been reconstructed. The castle was used for the filming of the series Game of Thrones. It served as the backdrop for Highgarden, the seat of House Tyrell. In October 2024, the seventh edition of the Age of Empires tournament sponsored by Red Bull took place in the castle under the name "Red Bull Wololo El Reinado".

The castle complex, whose origins date back to the 8th century, is remarkably well preserved and has been restored with great attention to detail.

Non-cycling route in many sections. Fences with padlocks Not recommended for bikes Yes for hiking