Town of Rute, in Córdoba.
Rute in spring has a tropical point. A place that looks like something out of a magical realism novel, an eternal Macondo that has not gone unnoticed by universal homeland literature – Cela came every summer to visit the lost paradise of donkeys, a Nature Reserve that gives shelter to 100 burritos and through which celebrities from all over the world have passed, from Queen Sofía to Olivia Newton John, to take a picture with such a poetic animal–.
Getting to the city is already an adventure. Rute is embraced by the mountains, at more than 600 meters above sea level, and in full Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park. From any part of the town, also from the highest square, Paseo del Fresno, ** the views of the Sierra de Rute do not leave you. **
Views of the Sierra de Rute, in Córdoba.
In one of the corners of the square stands the Museo del Jamón; in other, the picturesque Anís Museum –which we will visit later– and in a bar with a terrace and views of the square and the mountains, some men drink glasses of anise and liquor from early in the morning. Anise and liqueurs have been produced here for more than four hundred years in its century-old stills.
By the way, among its white streets they also hide some of the most successful patios in the province of Córdoba –in Rute they always win the first prizes–: that of Aurora Sánchez, in Priego street; Carmen, Rincón de Carmen and Patio de Anselmo, inside the Anís Museum.
Anselmo's Courtyard, in Rute (Córdoba).
FOR AN ADVERTISEMENT ROAD
Today the sky is covered with small clouds and the road –with views of the Iznájar reservoir– that takes us from the town square to our lodging seems one of those locations for car commercial shoots . Curves, always with blue water in the background, flowers of all colors, birdsong and aroma of pine and rosemary they slip through the windows, lowered to the top.
Rute has a public mountain range within the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park – just a short walk from the town – which is a paradise for active tourism. Up to the Sierra de las Cruces, where up to five provinces of Andalusia can be seen; Do the path of the Cerro del Canuto –where the watchtower or beacon tower of Christian origin is located, on the mountain peak called Hacho, at about 1000 meters of altitude–, walk through Sierra Alta to contemplate La Tiñosa (1570 m), the highest peak in the province of Córdoba , or its endless route of springs are some of its great hits.
Here they are two interesting river sources: the river de la Hoz –whose source and throat make up one of the most bucolic corners of the province– and that of the Anzur River, a tributary of the Genil.
Route through the Sierra de Rute, in the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park (Córdoba).
STAY WITH VIEWS TO THE 'LAKE'
Although in Rute there are four or five accommodations with views of what is known as 'lago de Andalucía' (Iznájar reservoir), Rincón de Carmen, on these dates, is the most special of all . Its award-winning patio is a beauty and the care with which the owners take care of it, the details and the positive energy that is breathed in this place make it the perfect base of operations.
In the center of the courtyard, under the shade of a spectacular walnut tree, surrounded by pots with all kinds of colorful flowers –and details such as old boots used as flowerpots–, is the grandmother taking the fresh air. Carmen, her daughter, meanwhile takes care of her pots and will give you all the conversation you want to have about the environment, the traditions, the flowers and the region.
Patio del Rincón de Carmen, in Rute (Córdoba).
Surrounding the courtyard the four charming apartments offer everything you could want for a getaway: windows overlooking the 'lake', authentic hydraulic press floors with beautiful tiles, corners and objects with soul, swimming pool to cool off after the excursions, complete kitchen and, for the most romantic, even your own Jacuzzi in one of its apartments.
Also, in its charming courtyard wild flower workshops are organized from time to time at sunset, while the breeze moves the leaves. Rute is a city with an important floral tradition, in which there are even two endemisms: Allium reconditum and Hypochaeris rutea, two rupicolous, or flowers that live among rocks, that some travelers come to photograph.
Courtyard of Aurora Sánchez, in Rute (Córdoba).
EAT AND DRINK BETTER THAN WELL
You cannot leave Rute without having breakfast at Los Galleros. The three most famous pastry shops in the city are the responsible for preparing the rich piononos, almond cakes and puff pastries.
For the less sweet, another appetizing option for breakfast is in the middle of Calle Duquesa, on the park promenade: Pata Negra. Here you have to try the classic muffins with mingo or telera bread and feast on some of the world's most successful oils from this area: Rute-Priego-Carcabuey, with the mountain olive as the protagonist. If you want, you can accompany him with a bit of local black leg ham, Cadiz chicharrón or lacon.
Looking for a dip in local authenticity for breakfast? Then head to Los Claveles bar, in the morning, the perfect place **to lose yourself in deep glasses of aniseed, with views of the Paseo del Fresno square. **
Piononos in Galleros Artisans of Rute (Córdoba).
For spoon lovers, a getaway to the neighboring village of Zambra will be an opportunity to delve into the roads and villages of the area and a culinary surprise. the traditional bar Casa Juanito awaits you with its pinto bean stews with partridge, its stews, traditional meatball soups or a whole variety of gazpachos. Country luxury.
If looking for tapas in Rute, in the middle of Calle Duquesa, El Desastres. And put to try one of the great temples of the oxtail in the town, the Venegas restaurant, that has achieved several first prizes in these wickers. For dinner with views and candles, El Juanes or the terrace of the El Mirador hotel, two of the most romantic places.
Another one of those places you cannot miss is El Sitio, a cocktail bar where you will enjoy, at more than affordable prices, the miscegenation of the local liquor store with the national and international combined with seasonal fruits. Proposals such as Sueño Subbético, with Rute anise, patio lemon and aniseed strawberry, or the Tourist, based on rum with cane honey from Frigiliana and ginger, they will leave you speechless. Also, the place it is inside the municipal park and for spring and summer nights it is the perfect place.
Venegas Restaurant, in Rute (Córdoba).
ROMANTIC CORNERS AND TOP VISITS
One of those getaways that you have to do yes or yes if you are in Rute is to neighboring town and brother of Iznájar. Above all, if your plans include finding yourself –suddenly– in one of the perfect corners to declare your love or get contemplative.
Iznájar is a small town overlooking the reservoir and it's the perfect afternoon outing. It is best to access the town through the second of its entrances, that of the 'big bridge' and go up to the Arab citadel that is preserved in perfect condition . Inside the famous Patio de las Comedias, you will find Kiss Corner. You know, you have it shot.
But also another of those unmissable experiences is the visit to the Anis Museum, that if it is from the hand of its owner, Anselmo Córdoba, it becomes one of the most fun visits you will make in Rute. you will tour the old brandy cellar, "dressed in May". you will know the ruteña tradition in the elaboration of aniseed and liqueurs. You will taste some of the delicious products that are made in this place and you will be able to buy some of their products to take home as a souvenir. You can also visit its patio, one of the most awarded in the Contest of Patios in the province of Córdoba and in the Subbética.
Anise Museum, in Rute (Córdoba).
Another of Rute's top experiences is** visiting the Adebo Donkey Reserve.** For 30 years, the alma mater of this project, Pascual Rovira, who defines himself as an "irrecoverable anarcho-pataphysicist", managed to attract Rute and her Asnal Republic to the great figures of literature and celebrities from half the world.
They have passed through here Queen Sofia, Cela, Alberti, Saramago, Gala, countless ministers, Pedro Almodóvar, the Duchess of Alba, Tita Cervera, Paola Dominguín, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, but also Christian Dior's granddaughter, IBEX 35 executives and **hundreds of artists, poets and musicians who continue to come here to record your video clips. **
Also, the Reserve has a fluid relationship with the Juan Ramón Jiménez Foundation, with the poetic association Voces del Extremo de Moguer, and even with the Fura del Baus, which he used in one of his shows, Naumaquia, a winged donkey that flew over the spectators. The burrito was called Califa. And both he and Pascual Rovira, the person in charge of the Reserve, are celebrities. Rovira is a very interesting guy to meet, although, at the moment, the reserve is not open to the public, sadly.
Adebo Donkey Reserve, in Rute (Córdoba).
A VERY LITERARY TOWN
But Rute has always been present in literature. References to this place began with the travel book of the crown prince of the Duchy of Tuscany, Cosme III de Médicis (1668-1669), who toured Spain and Portugal in the 17th century. It will also appear in Don Quixote and in other novels by Miguel de Cervantes, such as El casamiento Engañoso or La Sultana.
But if any The visit that definitely marked the territory forever was that of Rafael Alberti in 1921 –in fact, work is being done to create a route that follows in his footsteps through the town and its beautiful surroundings–. He lived here for a while. His sister was the notary's wife and, when the poet was diagnosed with a pleural condition in his lungs and the doctors recommended a dry mountain climate, she moved here.
From Route Alberti maintained a fruitful relationship with the Residencia de Estudiantes in Madrid and the members of the Generation of 27 . In fact, with Federico García Lorca he corresponded very often from the town. Here the poet received the National Prize for Literature for Sailor on Land; he wrote part of the texts for his Rute Notebook and was inspired for his play El adefesio.
Chorreadero Street, in Rute (Córdoba).
The literary witness was taken, about 30 years ago, by the literary magazine Ánfora Nova, directed by the also local writer and academic José María Molina. A publication that has been able to attract prominent authors, Nobel laureates, Prince of Asturias, national literature awards and that Its central axis is Ángeles Mora, a Ruteña poet who received the National Poetry Prize last year. Rute has something in the environment that is pure poetry.