La Alhambra y Generalife

The Alhambra of Granada is one of the most visited monuments of all Europe, it consists of various gardens, museums, towers and castles... And most important: it is definitely worth visiting.

Those who say "14 euros for simple entry-tickets is veeeerry expensive" may be right but this unique experience is worth it all. You can spend hours and hours walking through the countless gardens of the Generalife.

First point to criticise may be the lack of cultural and historical information given... You will only get these if you buy a visiting guide or similar - and that is too expensive in my opinion. So it would have been nice if there were some infoboards or something like that.

The most popular part of the Alhambra is the so called Palacio Nazaríes: several courts and a beautiful courtyard that build the worldwide known picture.

Due to the fame of the Alhambra, the monument was unfortunately crowded (even in the middle of october). So if you're planing to go there, you better have no reticence or problems with folks...

All in all it was one of the best experiences I had in Spain so far... Hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

The Alhambra is one of the most beautiful reminders of the Moorish influence in Granada. Visiting there not only makes you feel like you had travelled into another time but also to another land.

There are many ways of getting there, though the majority of journeys take place by bus or taxi. Yet for those of us who are more adventurous, foolish or merely poor broke students it can be quite a trek to get there!

The night before my sister and I stayed in Hotel Molinos which is a cheap but cheery little hotel at the bottom of said route to the Alhambra, this worked quite well as the path from there to the Alhambra was fairly straight forward.

When finally making our way up and through a wooded area we were directed by a helpful little man to the entrance. Thankfully we arrived very early that morning and managed to buy our tickets for the Alhambra (as from researching other posts about it, apparently there can be quite a wait if you plan to buy your tickets on the day).

Now these tickets can get confusing so in brief you can buy a variety of tickets to visit different parts of the Alhambra or at different times, during the day, night, evening... etc. In the end we decided on a general ticket for the Alhambra (daytime) on our first day of visiting and one for the El Generalife (the gardens) on our second. (psstt... one word of warning your ticket for the Alhambra will indicate what time you can visit the Nasrid Palaces so make sure you get there on time or you will forbidden to enter! ).

Thankfully we made it to the Nasrid Palace on time (if a little early), perhaps only due to my paranoia about getting everywhere early, which my sister clearly appreciated... And it was beautiful!

One of the interesting features of the Alhambra is that it's not only spread over a large site (so adventurers beware you may need a map or to rely on helpful Αndalucian gardeners) but it's also made up of so many different and intricate designs and patterns that we often found ourselves spending hours in one place.

Out of all the parts we visited my sister's favourite was the 'Patio de los Leones' perhaps due to her lion obsession but also due to its majestic and iconic pillars. For me it was the Sala de los Abencerrajes due to its many intricate ceilings and archways.

After exploring every possible inch of the Alhambra, going down all its maze-like passageways and hidden footpaths we finished our adventure. Feeling weary from our over-excitable running around we went into the main town where we feasted of tinto verano and paella.

After we visited a few sightseeing in Granada, we turned to the Alhambra. From Plaza Nueva, on foot, we entered in the Cuesta de Gomerez, a shopping street and we went through the Puerta de las Granadas (Harsh Gate), built in 1536, on the site of an old Moorish city gates. Here is the entrance of the Alhambra Park. After a climb considerably, we arrived at the main entrance of the Alhambra complex, where are the ticket offices. Here you can reach with buses 30 and 32, all from Plaza Nueva

Built on the hill, bordering the city of Granada, Alhambra, was the last stronghold of Moorish dominion. The name derives from "Arabesque Qualat al Hamra", which means "red Castle", due to the colour which he takes at sunset.

The construction of Alhambra complex begun in 1240 with Ibn el-Ahmar, first King of the Nasrid dynasty. For two centuries, the Moors have developed and spectacular graced the place. It was turned into a fortress, with palaces, houses, baths, a mosque, all placed in a fairy-tale land, with gardens and orchards.

Alhambra is made up of four sections: military fortress Alcazaba (the oldest), Nazrid Palace, Summer Palace Generalife and the Renaissance palace of Charles V.

Between them, a garden maze exists. You can also find gardens with trees, cypresses, huge-leaved fig trees, orange trees, shrubs of pistachios, pomegranates, roses, and other many kinds of flowers, towers and walls rises the Palace Generalife.

Located on a high ridge of the Hill, the Palace was the summer residence of the sultans, where they were relaxing in a wonderful setting, away from the hustle and bustle of life and political intrigues in the Palace. The Interior is decorated with stuccoes and mosaics.

The patio de la Acequia (Court with channel), is the heart of the Palace and is located between the two pavilions. It has a gallery with arches on one side and on the other side, some small rooms. The Center is a pool with fountains and flowers on both sides. The flag of the North enters the Patio de la Sultana the Court with Cypresses, where it says, as Zoraya, wife of Boabdil, secretly met his lover, head of the Abencerrajes family, causing the massacre of its entire family.

The Court has a pool in the shape of ' U ', and inside of it there are two small islands with vegetation and between them another pool with a stone fountain in the middle. On the sidelines are small fountains that cast delicate water jets.

The small garden of the Palace offers a very special view of the Alhambra complex. From here you can see the towers of the fortress Alcazaba, the red walls of the complex which climb and descend, chasing the mountain, also see Charles' Palace and the Bell Tower of St. Mary's Church.

The Palace charm is its gardens of great beauty. Everywhere, It has something that surprised and delighted me: alleys with cypresses carved, mazes of Hedges and flowers. Stuttering in water fountains which refresh the air, breaks out in fans or is resting in pools and ponds, reflecting the blue sky, vegetation.

It is said that in Alhambra water 'sings' because Arab fountains don't 'make noise'...

Garden alleys are paved with black and white pebbles, placed horizontally, brought by the rivers Darro and Genil.

We ended up in an area, a kind of market where the Baños Árabes (Arab Baths), the Palace of Charles V and the Tourist Information Office were. After the conquest by the Catholic monarchs, Charles V, was the only one who intended to live in Alhambra, building a massive, ponderous, Palace in Renaissance style, whose architecture, fragile architecture, resembled with the Arabic construction in the resort. The Palace of Carlos V was designed by Pedro Machuca and its construction began in 1526, but has not been completed.

The courtyard has a square and circular columns with an inner patio. It hosted bullfights and imitations of duels but now houses the Museum of the Alhambra, with pottery and fragments of carved stucco. Upstairs is the Museum of fine arts, dedicated to artists from Granada: Diego de Siloe, Alonso Cano, Pedro de Mena. Due to its perfect acoustics here are held concerts of symphonic music.

Opposite the Palace lies the Alcazaba-the oldest part of the complex of the Alhambra. It was built on the ruins of a castle from the 9th century. It's a typical military architecture, with defensive walls and lookout towers and baths and hammam (which were in the renovation).

The only ones that have survived until today were the walls and some towers: Torre de los Hidalgos, Torre Quebrada, Torre Homenaje and most importantly, the Torre de la Vela, from where we can admire the city.

The most important thing is about the Palacios Nazaríes which made the poet Ibn Zamrak to declame: "even the stars prefer to stay here, than to spin in heaven! ". Also, the poet Ibn Al-Yayyab (1333-1349) wrote about the Alhambra: "can be called Fort or House of delighted. It is a Palace full of splendor. Between the roof, floors and the four walls in stucco and tiles are miracles, and hewn wood ceilings are far more wonderful".

The Nazarí Palace was built mostly by Yusuf I (1334-1354) and his son Muhammad V (1354-1391). The exterior is simple, but once you enter in the Palace you will be surprised by the fascinating, absolutely fascinating and classical components of Arab decoration of stylised floral, geometric motifs and calligraphy.

Patio de los Leones (The lion's garden), tiled with white marble, is located in the middle of the harem. It is surrounded by a garden with 124 columns and in the centre has a fountain, whose cup is supported by 12 marble lions. On the edge of the fountain is carved a poem written by Ibn Zamrak, for his monarch Mohammed V. Around the patio are three halls, each one a real gem.

La Sala de Dos Hermanas (Hall of the two Sisters) was the home of Princess Zorana. On the walls are symmetrical motifs and figures. La Sala de los Abencerrajes (Hall of the Moors) on the southern side of the Palace is probably the most beautiful in the Palace. It has a vaulted ceiling, with fabulous ornaments and a star-shaped dome, which is reflected in the basin below.

The Palace is not easy to visit. It seems confusing, from the point of view of architecture and sometimes you think that you are in the same place, and even if we did not guess the "mysteries of the palace", it was a beautiful and interesting journey through the maze of halls, corridors, hidden corners, discrete entrances and courtyards. I admired the interior decorations with floral and geometric motifs, fine as lace, domes and arches, with ornamental ceilings, stalactites, the infinite arabesques and inscriptions.

Before leaving, I admired the Alhambra Palace and Kumar built during the Sultanate of Muhammad III (1302-1309). It is the oldest Palace of the Alhambra. They never kept, from the original, only the Tower Palace ladies and The Mihrab.

We found in the Alhambra a happy harmony between architecture, water and vegetation and I left surprised, impressed and astonished with many ideas for the decoration of the garden.

Tickets for visiting the Alhambra can be booked three weeks in advance, online and you will receive a receipt Caixa. With this and with your bankcard with which you made the reservation, pick up your tickets from an automated Caixa, in Fuengirola, or in any entrance of the Alhambra. You can buy tickets at the main entrance of the complex, but being a limited number, you have to be very early there. The price was 20 euro: Generalife Gardens 7, or 13 for the Palacios Nazaríes.

If somehow exceed the time planned for visiting the Palace Nazaries, not all is lost. Go to the Information and they will give you another code.

If we think of Granada, the first thing that comes into our mind is the Alhambra. The huge palace complex is one of the most known and visited places in Andalusia.

I made a trip to the south of Spain during my stay in Barcelona and today I am going to tell you why the Alhambra has been one of my highlights of the trip.

The whole city of Granada has this super special atmosphere that makes you feel like you are actually in Africa, in some Arabic country and not really in Europe. But nowhere in the city this atmosphere is as strong as in the Alhambra.

The different parts of the Alhambra were built in different centuries, but it last functioned as an Islamic palace. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage and one of the most visited tourist-attractions in Spain.

If you want to visit the Alhambra you have to pay around 14€ and there are two times to visit: either in the morning or in the afternoon. If it is high season, you might even want to reserve a ticket in advance, as it is often very busy and they just let in a certain number of people daily. Also to visit the Nasrid Palace you will get a certain hour to get in, so organise your way around to definitely not mis s your time, because this is definitely one of the most stunning parts of the Alhambra.

There are countless buildings in the Islamic architecture.. one prettier than the other! The Arabesque, the typical artistic decoration is found everywhere around doors and windows, on ceilings, and floors. It is so impressive if you look with how many details all the buildings are made. As I said earlier the Nasrid Palace is a special beauty, with beautiful galleries, arches and pillars. Also the complex has a lot of nice flower gardens, fountains and water pools. On the watchtower of the Alhambra you get a nice view on the city of Granada.

The palace complex was a lot bigger than I thought, so definitely make a plan with a lot of time to explore this beautiful place. To see all the unique buildings and walk through all the gardens you will need at least 2-3 hours.

A special advice of mine is to watch the Alhambra from the place called "Mirador de San Nicolás". From there you have the perfect view over the whole palace. Especially by sunset it is the best place to be in Granada. The setting sun creates atmosphere thanks to a magical light above the city and the palace. Many people are meeting here to have a drink and enjoy the breathtaking view.

The Alhambra is definitely a must-see if you are in the south of Spain! It is an incredibly beautiful place with lots of things to discover and since once you visited you will never forget.