 The Renaissance parish church of La Asunción
On the fringes of the rugged Sierras
Subbéticas Natural Park is the attractive village of
Luque, which is perched on a rocky outcrop and crowned by a castle,
with some of its Medieval defensive walls still standing.
The Moors constructed a castle in the ninth century
over the remains of a Roman fortification, but virtually all of
the present-day remains of the fortress date from the 13th century,
when Fernando III ordered it to be built.
Don´t miss the Renaissance parish church of
La Asunción, which has been declared a site
of cultural interest and was partly designed by Hernan Ruiz in the
late 16th century. It has a magnificent limestone façade
and inside, a fine Baroque altarpiece dating from the late 17th
century. It also has an image of San Juan la Bautista believed to
be the work of Martínez Montañés, the 17th-century
renowned religious sculptor.  Luque is crowed by its Renaissance parish church of La Asunción and Moorish
Castle
Subbética Viva has details of walks and guided
tours in Luque and the surrounding area. It also has details of
the only place to stay in the village, the hostal Albergue Rural
at the foot of the castle, 686 774 071. You can follow the Vía
Verde of the Subbética, a former railway line, on foot
or on a bike from Luque west to Zuheros
or east to the Laguna del Conde (see below).
Near Luque is the Laguna
del Conde Natural Area, which is one of several wetland reserves
in southern Cordoba province noted for their birdlife, especially
the high numbers of white-headed ducks that overwinter on these
lakes. This lake is also known as the Laguna Salobral (Salty Lake)
due to its high salinity.
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