Fun and games: following the trail of Game of Thrones in Spanish Andalusia

LOOKING across the rolling plains of Córdoba Campina, my teenage son felt like Olenna Tyrell surveying her kingdom.

His position on a balcony near the top of a tower in the castle of Almodóvar del Río had become part of one of the pivotal scenes of the seventh season of Game of Thrones.

This dizzying spot in the mythical Highgarden Castle is where the ancient queen of the Reach empire looks to see the giant army of the Lannisters gathering far below.

Within hours, her redoubt is stormed and Olenna is forced to ingest poison in a moment now etched in celluloid history.

One of the many parts of this imposing Moorish castle that can be visited today (with more than a dozen frames from the hit hbo conveniently disseminated series), in the words of my son this is ‘how castles should be restored’.

A formidable spot perched on a bend in Andalusia’s Guadalquivir river, halfway up the old Roman road between Seville and Cordoba, the 8th-century fortress had been painstakingly renovated by the millions by the former Count of Torralva in the early 20th century.

Some 800 workers dedicated 36 years to turning it into a home, with dozens of bedrooms, along with the obligatory banquet and dance halls, in addition to maintaining its most interesting elements, such as a huge patio and a dungeon.

Impressive in both scale and location, the little-visited Almodóvar castle is a great way to spend a couple of hours alongside a splendid lunch at La Taberna Cuatro Caminos, a short five-minute walk down the hill.

Part of a long weekend historical tour, focused on Game of Thrones, but equally appealing to my wife who appreciated the scenery and architecture of the fascinating Campina region, however the real joy is the lack of tourists.

Because this area rich in extensive farmland between the two main Andalusian cities has three or four towns of incredible tourist interest that are well worth a visit.

I have long praised the delights of the little-known gems of Ecija and Carmona (supposedly Spain’s oldest settlement) to anyone who has done Seville and Córdoba, or equally Granada, Málaga and Ronda to death.

But, what about Osuna or Medina Azahara? All gems from the ancient Roman and later Moorish dynasties that ruled the region for over ten centuries.

Our tour began about 10 miles north of Seville in the ancient city of Itálica, where two scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed.

This Roman city, which has been gradually discovered by archaeologists over the last century, is packed with a series of villas and a spectacular coliseum, where a zombie, known as ‘the White Walker’ is killed on the show.

An enormous site crisscrossed with ancient paved streets and dotted with monuments, the tragedy is how much of the old city was taken away in the 18th century to build the main highway north of Extremadura and even a dam on the Guadalquivir River.

It’s still a stunning place to visit (the birthplace of Emperors Trajan and Hadrian) and a real surprise for first-time visitors, with many Spanish grooms taking their official wedding photos here.

Founded in 206 a. C., it was built on a classical Roman grid plan with public buildings and a forum in the center and was connected to a busy port on the nearby Guadalquivir. Thanks to Hadrian, who built a series of temples and made it an official ‘colony’, it prospered for hundreds of years until the 3rd century, when the river silted up, encouraging the growth of nearby Seville.

Fortunately, the vast majority of tourists visiting nearby Seville don’t venture out, which means you’ll often have the place to yourselves.

From here we head east towards Osuna, where we spend the night, thanks to its healthy choice of ancient palaces to sleep in.

A strategic location that once stood on the edge of the ancient Kingdom of Granada and the mountainous Cordilleras Beticas where the Moors clung for two centuries until 1492, it was first inhabited by the Tartessians 3,000 years ago.

Becoming a Roman colony called Genetiva Iulia, when Julio César visited it, it later became known as Oxuna in Moorish times until it was taken by the Catholic Monarchs in 1239 after a bloody battle.

Changing the name to Osuna, it was during the 15th and 16th centuries that it really flourished when the Count of Ureña promoted the construction of 13 churches, a convent, a hospital and even a university (still open with a splendid Mudejar ceiling).

It was clearly a wealthy place, with one street, in particular, decreed by UNESCO to house the most impressive collection of palaces in Spain.

Calle San Pedro (but also a handful of parallel and perpendicular streets) is full of true gems from the Baroque to the Renaissance, including at least one hotel, the Palacio Marqués de la Gomera, which must be visited for its charming patio and chapel.

We stayed at its sister hotel at the top of the town, the Hospedería del Monasterio, and got up early and took a fascinating walk to the so-called Canteras area, a plateau full of ancient cemeteries and caves, from where much of the golden sandstone it was carved to build the wonderful churches and palaces of the city.

The views across Campina stretched on forever, while the atmospheric photos of the city catching the morning sun were worth it on their own.

We headed back and woke the teenager up for breakfast and then to the highlight, the bullring, where the HBO cast and crew had spent 17 days filming a huge scene from season five’s gladiator-style Dragon.

The night before we had come across the same restaurant, Casa Curro, where the actress Emilia Clarke had celebrated her birthday, with, fittingly, dozens of photos of the night hanging on the wall.

The staff proudly displayed a signed guest book, as I tried to remember what I had eaten here some 10 years earlier. Nothing exciting, really, but probably (still) about the best on offer in Osuna.

Going up at noon, what we hadn’t realized was that the bullring was closed, being a bank holiday close to Christmas, so all we could do was walk around it from the outside and look through any gaps. (Note: only open from Friday afternoon to Sunday).

The lad took it surprisingly well though, perhaps thanks to being pampered with a giant plate of pancakes for breakfast, and Almodóvar’s castle more than made up for it that afternoon.

By nightfall we were back on the Costa del Sol, but not before a splendid late lunch at a new steakhouse restaurant, Asador La Perdida, in Alcalá de Guadaira, just south of Seville.

A splendid stopover just off the motorway, on its own it is the perfect stopover for anyone on their way to Seville. One to remember.

WHERE TO EAT AND STAY

Hotel Hospederia de Monasterio (www.hospederiadelmonasterio.com), in Osuna, sits in a commanding position at the top of town, with a wonderful courtyard with its own pool and sun loungers. While the rooms are lovely, it’s a bit too sleepy in winter, there’s no one at reception and you have to go out and get your breakfast.

Casa Curro restaurant in Osuna is where the Game of Thrones cast and crew frequently ate and celebrated Emilia Clarke’s birthday party. It boasts the largest selection of tapas in the city and can be eaten both in the dining room and at the bar, where the walls are covered with the many celebrities and bullfighters who have visited over the years.

Taberna Cuatro Caminos (www.latabernadecuatrocaminos.com) in Almodóvar del Río is a true gastronomic secret that serves perhaps the best Rabo de Toro in Spain (oxtail originally from Córdoba). Professional place run by Juan Sánchez Doblare since the 70s, his wife Antonia is the cook. Also famous for its croquetas, be sure to ask for a glass of the fino seco from Montilla Moriles on offer.

Asador La Perdida, in Alcalá de Guadaira (www.asadorlaperdida.com) is a charming country house with its own land, easy to park and with a very marked style. Just five minutes from the AP-4 motorway, you can sit in the gardens or on the patio, or inside in one of the three elegant dining rooms. A grill style joint, the steaks are fabulous, though there are plenty of salads and daily specials.

READ MORE: