There is no place sweeter than Rute!
The streets of Rute smell of cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. Also to matalahúva and toasted almond; even chocolate.
They are the typical aromas of a festival that, however, here, in this corner of Cordoba's Subbética, are strong for much of the year. Because at Rute Christmas is much more than a date marked in red on the calendar: it is a way of life.
Mantecados and shortbread from Rute
To understand that this statement is not crazy, it is best to dive headlong into your environment. On the border where Córdoba meets the provinces of Málaga and Granada, and sheltered by the beautiful Iznájar Reservoir, the nucleus of this typical Andalusian town with white alleys has room for old mantecados factories, old aniseed distilleries, the most varied museums and even —look at the data— the largest chocolate Nativity scene in Spain.
If you are one of those who arrives these dates plugs in the carol record and takes his reindeer jumper out of the closet, Be careful, because this may become your private paradise.
THE FLAVORS OF ALWAYS
In Galleros Artesanos there are already four generations that have been delighting the palates of half the world thanks to their sweets and cakes. With a history that began in 1948, in its artisan factory, when the Christmas season arrives, a true revolution is always experienced.
Alfajores, puff pastries, mantecados, Christmas chocolates... The list of food that is cooked in its ovens is almost as broad as the imagination of its pastry chefs, who draw on ingenuity and 'pastry' wisdom to feed that sweet tooth that everyone —and whoever is free of sin, should cast the first stone - we have. There is a classic among its proposals: its highly praised piononos, although these are available all year round.
But Galleros is not only going to replenish the pantry, but also: He goes to Galleros to make a visit to his facilities and discover the entrails of his workshop. Also to contemplate its interesting museum of chocolate figures —they even have the Pope himself in real size, hey—, or much better: hallucinate with the staging of what is considered the largest chocolate nativity scene in Spain.
And so big is the birth, that it occupies no less than 56m2. Made with about 1,500 kilos of chocolate, seven master chocolatiers work on this work of art for four months, that each year manage to represent in absolute detail different areas of Europe.
Those who also know a lot about sweets and Christmas are the workers at La Flor de Rute. From the hand of Rafael Garrido, one of its owners, It is a delight to enter the heart of this mythical factory.
The hands of its pastry craftsmen move with agility between state-of-the-art machines, managing to give the exact point to all kinds of delicatessen. If we have to bet on a product, we stick with its ice cream, the star delicacy of the house.
Because is what 50 years of history They give to perfect a recipe that has become the authentic flavor of Ruteña Christmas. With more than 300 tons of sweets made per year, There is no choice but to wrap the blanket around your head again: it will not hurt to empty the trunk before this trip.
Artisan almond shortbread from La Flor de Rute
BEYOND SWEET
With the shopping list crossed off and the spirit of Christmas through the roof, perhaps it's time to explore the benefits of this beautiful town in Cordoba. And if there's one place to start, that's it. its mythical Chorreaero: this steep street with 61 fan-shaped steps joins the Barrio Alto with the Barrio Bajo and, with its colorful pots, makes up one of the most identifying images of Rute.
A town described by slopes and more slopes: you have to prepare thoroughly to assimilate that the legs will be the best vehicle to explore, for example, the Cordovan patios that are hidden behind the walls of their old houses.
Aurora Sánchez has to her credit some of the most acclaimed awards in the region and the province, and going into it is like doing it in a small Eden: flowers and more flowers, fountains, hundred-year-old trees —the orange tree that presides over the patio is 100 years old— and still lifes worth exploiting, camera in hand, that artist that we all have inside.
The Chorreadero
A walk to the mythical Pillar Street It is not too much: there they stand out its splendid stately facades, such as that of the Círculo de Rute, inspired by a regionalist style and work of the school of the great Hannibal Gonzalez.
To top it off, how about a bit of historical heritage? With the church we have run into the Parish of Santa María Mártir, built in the 15th century as an abbey. Sacred art takes center stage here thanks to its main altarpiece, in neoclassical style, attributed to Alonso Gomez de Sandoval.
Courtyard with Duende, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site
But one thing is clear: so much walking makes you hungry. And there is only one way to remedy that: indulging in the flavors of the area. To do so, there is nothing like putting yourself in the hands of Juan, a renowned Ruteño chef who, after spending half his life directing the kitchen stoves in large hotel chains on the Costa del Sol, decided to return to his hometown to breathe some fresh air into his gastronomy.
In the Gastrobar Juan'es the first quality product is the one that commands, either with fish from the Malaga and Huelva coasts, or with exquisite Iberian meats. What better way to recharge your batteries?
Meat or fish? Everything is delicious at Gastrobar Juan'es
ONE OF MUSEUMS?
Yes, museums: because if Rute understands something —besides Christmas, of course—, it is exhibition spaces. Moreover, we will be honest: most of the surprising number of museums that it has, is related – surprise! – to Christmas.
For example, the Anís Museum, where you can take a tour of the history of this typical Ruteño liqueur whose marriage with the mantecado is one of those for life.
Although if what you want is to taste the product, the destination is different: in the middle of Paseo del Fresno you will find Machaquito, a distillery with 150 years of history where you can learn everything about aniseed.
the smell of matalahuva and the warmth emanating from its boilers makes one feel like not leaving there, especially if it is with a glass of anise in hand. One of the most beautiful prints is found, however, outside: the incredible woodshed with more than two tons of olive tree trunks stacked is simply spectacular.
Anise Museum, in Rute
And since it is already known that the liquor should always soak in something, we bet on filling the stomach with good ham: In the Museo del Jamón —obviously—, you can not only take a journey through the history of this local delicacy, you can also taste the product, which is what it is all about, and even stocking up on a good arsenal to take home.
And watch out, things get serious: yes Even Cervantes himself described the benefits of Ruteño ham in two of his works —The great sultana Doña Catalina de Oviedo and in El Casamiento Engañoso—, it must be for a reason. We will not be the ones to contradict him.
The offer is rounded off with several more museums: of the Sugar, the one of the Chacina, the Artisan Museum of Nougat, Mantecado and Marzipan either the Rute and Spain Aniseed Aguardiente museums complete this atypical route.
TIME TO EXPLORE
Come on, let's go to the mountain. That if we have been highlighting the spectacular natural environment that Rute has since the beginning of this article, we are not going to stay with the desire. The list of hiking trails scattered around its surroundings are the most varied, although there is one that Ruteños love: the one that leads to El Canuto, a beacon tower from the Muslim period that crowns the neighboring Monte Hacho.
Between oaks, Aleppo pines, cornicabras and the attentive gaze of the griffon vultures that fly over the sky of the Subbética, The Pinar de Rute trail guides the way through spectacular landscapes and offering amazing panoramic views of the Iznájar Reservoir.
Sierra de Rute and Iznájar reservoir
Views that can also be seen from any of the rooms that Carmen, Ruteña by birth, offers in her coquettish rural accommodation: Carmen's Corner is not only an idyllic country house nestled in the middle of the mountain, it is also the place where wake up listening to the chirping of the birds, breathing the pure air of the mountains and disconnecting from the problems of everyday life.
It is that home that every traveler seeks when traveling far from home: the culmination for a unique Christmas destination in the south.
El Rincón de Carmen: a charming rural accommodation in the heart of the mountain