Quote: GRANADA must have one of the most spectacular settings of any city in Spain, perhaps Europe, maybe even beyond. It lies on a wide, fertile plan with the permanently snow-capped mountains of the Sierra Nevada forming an impressive backdrop. It's these snow-capped peaks which have guaranteed the city's success - ensuring a constant water supply long before humans had even learned how to conjugate irrigation, never mind put it into practice. Combined with it's relative proximity to the sea which ensured a milder climate than some of the cities further inland, and you can see why this was an area that many different cultures and civilizations coveted over the centuries.

Granada was first settled in the prehistoric period, and was known at that time as Ilbyr. Then came the Romans, who built their own city here and called it Illibris. Fast forward to 711 and the invading Arabs. They named the city Granada, and liked it so much, they remained until 1492 when it was the last Muslim city to reconquered by the Christians.

So much for history. Although the main attraction in Granada is not the shopping and nightlife, or hands-on, state-of-the-art, visitor attractions; the reason visitors flock to this city is firmly rooted in history, especially its Moorish history.

While Cordoba was at one time by far the most important city of Eastern Islam, as the re-conquest took hold, Granada's importance grew with the influx of more and more displaced Arabs. Eventually, when Cordoba fell in 1236 (with Seville soon to follow), Granada assumed the mantle as the most important city in Moorish Spain.

This was the period when Granada's most important monuments were constructed.

THE ALCAZABA originally dated from the 9th century, but was enlarged and modified in the 13th century by Muhammed III, as his private residence. Apparently, because the clay used in the construction glows so fiery in the setting sun, it became known as The Red Castle - Calat al-Hamra - Alhambra.

This was what we came to see - and if what we had read and heard about it was to be believed, so was much of the holidaying population of Europe. THE ALHAMBRA is described as one of THE places to see, not just in Spain, not just in Europe, but on the planet. It is so popular, that only a limited number of visitors are allowed to visit on a daily basis - don't ask how many, I haven't got a clue.
It's recommended that you book your ticket in advance to avoid disappointment. Naturally, having unlimited access to the net (where it's possible to book online) I forgot. Still, what's life without a bit of uncertainty?

It's easy to find the Alhambra, it's signposted from whichever direction you are traveling from. Although it's actually quite close to the city centre, to access it, you really need to follow the ring road. If you're still a little uncertain about finding it, just follow the convoys of tourist busses...that's where they'll all be heading!

We arrived almost at the crack of dawn...OK, it was nearer 9am, but that's early when you're on holiday, right? Our reasoning being that since we hadn't pre-booked, we'd stand a better chance of gaining entry. That, and the fact that we were hoping to beat the crowds (not literally, y'know - like some overzealous cop at a demonstration). Obviously our ploy worked, or this review would be ending right about n....

After handing over our cash (a total of ? 15 which allowed access to everything), we marched right on over a drawbridge and through some very unimpressive gardens towards the main gateway. "What's all the fuss about?" I thought to myself, "It's nothing much to write about (although I will)".
Fighting our way through the bus party from the school of 'I don't know what I'm doing, so I'll just stand around and get in everyone's way', we entered the inner walled area. This was more like it.
This area had the feel of a medieval village, with a few houses dotted around a church. Actually, I was reminded of a hilltop village in the South of France rather than a Moorish bastion, but I digress. Most of the buildings here have been kitted out as shops, ready to pounce on you as you depart. Not much to see here - especially as the shops weren't even open at that ungodly hour, so ever onward and upward we trudged.

The next point of interest was the PALACIO de CARLOS V, an outstanding example of Spanish Renaissance architecture. Again, this didn't have any feel of Moorish history, but that's hardly surprising as it wasn't built till after the reconquest. It's still an impressive building though and has a small museum and art gallery inside which were mildly interesting.

Just behind this, is what is probably the highlight of the whole complex, are Los PALACIOS NAZARIES, the former palaces of the Moorish Kings.
Access is limited to these buildings and we had to queue for a little while before gaining entry. Was it worth the wait? I suppose so.

The first room you enter is, not surprisingly, the reception room, and although the building is devoid of any furnishings or fabric, you can still sense the grandeur and opulence that must have struck the visitor in days gone by. Everywhere you look there are multi-coloured ceramics in the most elaborate of designs, and fantastic plasterwork and carved stone detail above.

THE SERALLO is probably the most serene room of the palace. It's an open space housing a long rectangular pond complete with some fine specimens of fish. the surrounding columns and arches are reflected on the mirrored waters. The serenity only broken by swifts diving down to the water to drink, and the whirring and clicking of a thousand cameras.
There are further rooms, courtyards and chambers, each seemingly more intricately adorned then the next, and I'm afraid my dearth of descriptive scribbling could never do justice to their rich decoration. The following link has some images that can perhaps give you some idea of what it looks like:
http://www.subir.com/rushdie/alhambra.html

The downside of being so hugely attractive to people, is that huge crowds of people are attracted. Although visitor numbers are limited, and we were there when it was relatively quiet, you couldn't help feeling hemmed-in and rushed through. I'm just glad that the numbers are restricted, or it would be impossible to appreciate it in any meaningful way.

At the very extreme end of the complex is THE ALCAZABA, the original red stone fort. There's not a lot to see here, apart from the fabulous views over the city and the surrounding mountains. It's a nice spot to take a breather and eat that ice cream you bought from the little stand just outside the entrance though.

Had enough of fancy palaces and intricate stonework? Yeah, me too.

THE GARDENS of the Alhambra, just below the palaces, were quite something. Although there was a bit of work in progress, and some areas were roped off, there were a great many little corners in which to sit and ponder. Water plays a big part here and somehow or other, those ancient engineers had managed to divert water to the top of this hill and irrigate the gardens, thereby transforming them into a lush, sub-tropical paradise. Some of the views from here, framed by flowers, shrubs and trees, and reflected on the surface of the many ponds, are quite spectacular.


So much for the Alhambra, now it's a short walk over to the GENERALIFE.

Contrary to what the name might suggest, the Generalife is not in fact the HQ of some greedy, grasping insurance company, but another palace with attendant gardens. Although nowhere near as grand and splendid as the Alhambra, it's still quite magnificent. The Generalife was like a little getaway for the Sultan, and the gardens were used as an orchard for the palace. It's a lot quieter than the Alhambra, and it's nice to sit a while here and look across to the bustling crowds in the Alhambra.







From journals Cordoba and Granada

Quote: I had read that the Alhambra was one of the top 100 places recommended to visit ‘before you die’ and also heard comment that this historical site should be made the 8th Wonder of the World. On a recent trip to the Andalucía region of Southern Spain I was therefore keen to include a few nights in the beautiful city of Granada to enable us to visit this landmark, which since 1984 has been a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Having now visited I have to agree that it is a truly outstanding place to visit, due to the sheer beauty of the site, the historical interest and the architectural wonder of how and why parts of it were actually created.
The Alhambra is a castle / palace complex which sits at the top of a hill beside the river Darro in Granada. It is roughly divided into two main areas, the Generalife which is predominantly gardens which overlooks the main building area that consists primarily of the Alcazaba, Nastrid Palaces and Carlos Vs palace.

**A few practicalities for a trip to the Alhambra**

Booking tickets: The Alhambra is open for two or three sessions per day from 8.30am until 2pm and 2pmto 8pm and sometimes it will be lit for an evening visit. We chose an afternoon visit as 8.00 seemed very early and we wanted to make good use of our hotel breakfast too. More tickets are available for the morning than the afternoon however. Full tickets including the palaces were sold out when we arrived but garden only ones were available. Fortunately we were aware that pre booking is strongly recommended, so we were not disappointed. If you haven’t been able to book ahead then I would still recommend a garden only ticket as you can easily spend a few hours here alone. I had heard reports of long queues for tickets but I saw no sign of these and perhaps it is only in the mornings that this happens.

I was quite bewildered when I looked on line for tickets as there seem to be so many sites and package options. We have the Lonely Planet, Discovering Spain book and this recommends using www.servicaixa.com which offers online booking in English. This turned out to be part of Ticket Master so I felt reassured that I was using a reputable booking site. Booking was straightforward using a credit card and I was able to print out conformation. This confirmation does not however give you entry.

Instructions on the print out advise that you should take the credit card that you booked with to a ServiCaixa terminal and gives a link to find locations. I found an appropriate cashpoint machine earlier in my holiday but although it had an option for printing event tickets it did not find mine. As soon as we reached Granada I therefore went to the Alhambra and found a row of machines outside their entrance and my tickets printed as soon as I inserted my card. Job done or so I thought! Look carefully at your tickets when they are printed – they should all have a barcode on as this will be swiped at numerous times throughout your visit to ensure you only visit each area once.

Our child’s ticket had no barcode and we were refused entry and had to go to a separate queue to have our daughters age verified. Looking back at the web site now I see that it does state that proof of age is required for children and pensioners, but I had to make a stressful trip back to the hotel to get my daughters passport before a ticket with a bar code was printed for her. So be warned – take a passport if you are taking a child as you will need to prove their age. I would also recommend doing this prior to your entry time when the ticket booths are quieter.

Ticket prices: We paid 14.3 Euros for our adult tickets and 9.3 for a 12 – 15 year old, for tickets to all areas of the Alhambra. I believe younger children were free. There are however numerous sites offering tickets with guided tours. A time will need to be chosen for entry to the Nastrid Palaces and tickets must be collected at least one hour before this time. Compared to National Trust properties in England these tickets seemed superb value for money.

Information: Audio guides are available for hire at the main entrance. We toyed with whether to get one but as there was quite a long queue we decided against. They cost 6 euros each and 4 euros for just the Nasrid palaces. If you change your mind you can also pick one up outside the palaces too. I’m glad now that we didn’t get one as I think we would have dwelled too long in each area listening to copious amounts of information and would have probably seen far less overall before exhaustion set in. I had read quite a bit before we visited so had some background information which seemed sufficient. Guidebooks are plentifully available.

You will be given a map before entering which shows marked routes around the site, but as we headed straight for our timed ticket for the Nasrid Palace we found we missed out on some parts and back tracked later, but in doing this we missed some areas altogether due to turn stile systems and bar codes only letting you in once. We were a little lost initially as didn’t realise that the map showed some garden areas outside the walls, so originally took a wrong turn. The different areas are sign posted though and once we got to grips with the map it was fine. A potted history is also provided on this as well as tips for planning your visit.

Toilets are clearly marked on the map in four locations, included ones for disabled visitors. These were clean and there were plenty of cubicles. There are also several cafes and gift shops. We didn’t use the cafes as we’d made the most of that plentiful hotel breakfast, but ice creams and lots of water kept us going in the heat. There are lots of drinking water fountains, but we were a bit dubious about using these so stuck to bottled water.

Access: We saw several visitors in wheelchairs and many of the paths are accessible but it is an ancient property so there are also an awful lot of steps. We did notice that guides were opening doors to allow access for wheelchair users that the general public could not use, so they obviously make efforts to maximise the areas that can be seen. I would recommend visiting even if you have mobility difficulties as there is so much to see even form the main paths, but be aware of long distances that need to be covered.

**Finding the Alhambra**

By car:
It’s a huge building dominating the skyline of Granada – I thought we’d see it for miles off. Not so – we drove around Granada for 1.5 hours without any trace of it – no sign post and certainly no commanding buildings. Our sat nav is a bit out of date and kept trying to send us down bus and taxi only roads or tiny cobbled streets which we could barely turn the corner in. We made it eventually, by luck alone. The road leading uphill to the Alhambra is actually at the most Western part of Granada and the road up to it is just before you leave town and start driving up into the Sierra Nevada mountains. There is plenty of parking at 14 Euros per day.

On foot:
The walk between the Alhambra and central Granada is steep to put it mildly but very pleasant. From the Plaza Nueva which is bustling with tapas bars follow the pink signs and take the narrow pedestrian only street, Cuesta de Gomerez, with its gift shops on either side and follow this up through the large stone gateway. After this take the left uphill fork of the windy road – this is the steepest part but is shaded by trees and streams of water trickle down either side to cool you and the oldest of stone benches can be used for a rest. Part way up you will come to one of the gates into the Alhambra, but not the main entrance and there is an impressive fountain here to cool off in. The final part of the route is following the walls and gardens of the Alhambra until you come to the ticket office on your left. It takes about 20 minutes, but is a really pretty walk. The number 30 bus and hundreds of taxis will all be waiting eagerly to take you up if you think this is too much for you.

Quote: As you know, this fortress in the town of Granada, the last two centuries served as a refuge for Arab conquerors on European soil.

It was his custom built a mosque, palaces with delicate patterns on the ceilings and semicircular windows, kept harems of eunuchs. In addition to the eunuchs, all preserved in excellent condition, how to save herself the old Granada, whose panoramic view from the top of the fortress, with views of snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada, not less picturesque than the Alhambra itself.

The queue stretched a kilometer into the castle boa - it was 9:00 am. We are pleased to have gone along it slowly, because we went to the window pre-order.

Tickets to the Alhambra can be purchased by phone, via credit card, and for the same price. It is doubly useful, given that when buying tickets people are not allowed in the castle at once, and call a specific time in which he could visit her. And, if the court evening, and a visit to - 16.30, the expectation of the patient may disappoint tourists. We once knew in advance.

In Granada, right next to the Alhambra, I first tried a cold tomato soup gazpacho (gazpacho), that has not passed unnoticed for my health, exhausted by years of debilitating PR-activities. Later we found that in every city of Spain gazpacho prepared in different ways, but always excellent.
From journals Andalusia , Spanish Castle stern and unmoved

Quote: Did you know more photos are taken inside the walls of the Alhambra than in any other monument on earth?*

*Entirely fabricated factoid.

This isn't necessarily true, but it certainly feels like it. From afar, Granada's - and arguably Spain's - most treasured and esteemed jewel begs to be captured on film; inside, it's innumerable times as beguiling. Built by the Moors in the 13th century and retaken by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492, the complex is a stunning, striking mass of grand, imposing architecture and fine Islamic detail, forming an entrancing whole.

Viewed from a distance, the Alhambra's most prominent structure is the Alcazaba, a castle complex of imposing angular towers. The reddish walls, intensified by the dying sun and standing aloft in contrast with the snow-capped Sierra Nevada to the south, give evidence to the site's name; Alhambra being "The Amber One" or "Red Fortress". Inside the complex, a variety of structures from different periods and religious backgrounds co-exist in a pleasing, intoxicating medley of architectural ingenuity and aesthetic delight, while just outside, the gardens of the Generalife rise up away from the city walls.


~*"~ Entry times & Tickets ~*"~

Tickets for a six-hour visit cost Euro13 if booked in advance - something which is not mandatory, although the strength of the recommendation to do so is inversely proportional to the amount one enjoys standing in long queues before seven in the morning. Around 6,000 tickets are available per day, with 2,000 of these kept back for sale at the ticket office in the morning - you'll save a Euro if you buy on the day, but purchasing in advance gives you the chance to choose the half-hour slot in which you enter the Palacio de Nazaries, the Alhambra's greatest (and accordingly, most popular) treasure. You can reserve tickets through La Caixa bank (www.servicaixa.com), where you'll also choose a morning (8:30-14:00) or afternoon (14:00-20:00) visit.

Collecting tickets at the Alhambra is easy. Climb the lengthy slope from Plaza Nueva in the town, through the impressive Puerta de las Granadas (Gate of Pomegranates) to the ticket office, pass the gift shop and insert the card you paid with into one of the machines to print off your tickets. If you arrive forty-five minutes or so before you're due to enter, you'll avoid being delayed by queues. There are plenty of cafes and amenities up here.


~*"~ The Generalife ~*"~

Overlooked by the Palacio de Generalife, these gardens (literally, "the Architect's Gardens") are spread out over several tiers, with the most modern restorations at the lower reaches. There are two entrances to the Alhambra complex; take the one by the ticket office and you'll enter into these gardens, with the walled citadel across a bridge to your left. The lowest level of the Generalife unfolds like a scene from Alice in Wonderland, all ruler-straight hedges reaching above your head and cut-out doorways framing your destination and the city below.

Above this initial and most sizeable area, the Palacio de Generalife contains older reflections of the site's past (check what time you need to be at the Palacio de Nazaries before entering, as you can only do some once per visit - leave half an hour or so at least). Pass through the Patio de la Acequia, with its central water channel and myriad fountains and swing around to the right to enter the Jardin de la Sultana, where beneath the 700 year-old cypress tree (now on its last roots), the Sultan's favourite concubine Zoraya was reputed to flirt none too subtly with the head of a prominent family. More of the consequences of this later ...

Keep heading upwards, and take the Escalera de Agua (Water Stairs) to the top where a series of carved busts survey Granada from a shaded terrace. Cool water runs gurgling down the banisters and pools on the landings as you climb - from here, descend a couple of tiers and take the long, leafy walkway back around to the entrance. Depending on your allotted time and preferences, the Generalife can make an ideal start or culmination to an Alhambra visit.


~*"~ The Alhambra ~*"~

Once you've left the Generalife gardens, head through the Medina towards the centre of the Alhambra complex, making sure you look back for some astounding views of the Sierra Nevada's snowy peaks (which keep their white covering right through into May). Pass through a gateway into a courtyard with a couple of hotels and an old set of baths. Continuing on, what might be considered the central plaza is ahead. On one side, the Renaissance Palacio de Carlos V looks rather out of place with its ornate carvings and flowing, heavily-worked curves. Against the strong, angular lines of the rest of the site, it almost looks slightly gaudy. Inside a couple of museums and circular courtyard are worth a look.

To the north of this clearing, the entrance to the Palacios de Nazaries (Nazrid Palaces) will be marked by a substantial queue every half-hour. You must enter at the time marked on your ticket, although once you're in, you can marvel at its many wonders as long as you wish. Although it appears a little over-officious, this system seems to work pretty well - the Palace is utterly beautiful inside, but fairly confined space-wise, so the staggering of visitors helps control the flow somewhat. The earlier you book, the more choice you'll have as to when you enter. Each room seems to hold a new "wow" factor, and impresses on both the large scale, with some wondrous architecture and the small; the carvings, inscriptions and decorations are quite staggering in their skill and complexity. Beautiful carved wooden ceilings, marble pillars, intricately-worked archways and multicoloured tiling exhibit what is said to be the finest collection of Islamic structures on the continent. Sadly, the much-loved centrepiece, the Patio de los Leones (Lion Courtyard) was being restored as of April 2010, although even without the fountain at its centre, the majesty of the space is self-evident.

To the southern side of this patio, a smaller room is significant for the dark stains across the floor that are said to be the blood of the family whose patriarch was found to be engaging the affections of the aforementioned Zoraya, most lovely of the Sultan's harem.

As you leave the complex, you emerge into the Jardines del Partal (Partal Gardens), a series of terraced gardens whose Palacio is the oldest surviving structure within the walls. The final major complex of note in this area is the Alcazaba - the towers offer some dazzling panoramic views of Granada, although little else remains within the buildings. Pass through the remains of the prisons and ascend the Torre de la Vela for superlative vistas across the city and region.


~*"~ Beauty and Balance ~*"~

I could throw a thousand adjectives at the Alhambra without managing to convey quite how stunning and striking the site is (and probably have done above), but it is perhaps best expressed as having both astounding beauty and perfect balance. Throughout the complex, inimitable examples demonstrate the first, but it also all manages to come together as a captivating whole. Overlooking the attractive city of Granada, surrounded by woodland, backed by mountains and scented with rich blossom, the Alhambra is more than the sum of its parts. In a region - Andalucía - lit up by countless wonderful examples of the area's turbulent, multi-layered past, this has to be the ultimate exposition of the Moorish influence on Southern Spain. Take your camera charger. In fact, take five cameras, and you might just be able to capture a whisper of the place's charm.
From journals Moor and More - Year One in Andalucía