Visiting Granada: A view of the Alhambra Palace

Are there any visitors who have gone to Andalucia and not visited the city of Granada? Granada is possibly one of the most beautiful cities in Spain.

Situated high up, near to the Sierra Nevada national park, the town is spread over two hills that dominate the skyline. The first hill is the location of an old Arabic palace, the Alhambra Palace. The second hill being the setting of the town’s historical centre ‘Albaicín’.

Granada is the best place to see the influence of the Arabic reign over the region, with much of the local architecture being built and influenced during the 700 years of occupation. The Arabs took control of the town in the year 711, and it wasn’t until 1492, when the Catholics came that the town and palace were surrendered. When the Catholics took control, the Arabic Sultan (Muhammed XII or Boabdil) left without a fight, to ensure that the Alhambra Palace would not come under attack and get destroyed.

This gesture from Muhammed XII ensured the safety of the palace, which remains untouched to this day, apart from the numerous visitors that go there on a yearly basis. Today the Alhambra Palace is seen as the symbol of Granada, and more tourists visit the palace more than any other attraction in Spain. Another absolute must to visit are the Cuevas in front of the Alhambra, at the top of the Sacromon, these are white caves which even today are lived in, very unique for Europe.

Granada has a very special Moorish flair and because of its outstanding beauty, the organisation UNESCO, has declared it a World Heritage Site. This is a place which has to be seen and explored by visitors and residents alike.

Not only is Granada alive with tourists, but the grand university there makes it very popular to both Spanish and international students, who are keen to try the vast array of bars and pubs. Around the city are a great selection of tapas bars also waiting to be tried.

All of these sights mean that Granada a must see for anyone visiting Andalucia.

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