Granada Attractions and Tourist
Attractions in Granada
The major attraction in Granada, and for that matter throughout Spain is the fortress town of the Alhambra. As early as 1984, the Alhambra was on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Alhambra can be translated as “The Red Castle” (Al Hambra is Arabic and means “the Red”) located on a mountain shelf in Sierra Nevada, southeast of the city center.
The history of the Alhambra begins early, but it was in the 13th century that emir Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar built the fortress town with walls and splendid buildings. With this, the Alhambra became both a palace and a fortress. In the middle of the 1300s, this became a royal residence. Christopher Columbus is said to have lived here in advance of his famous expedition in 1492.
The Alhambra has undergone extensive maintenance work from the 19th century to almost today. For the Alhambra you need to book your ticket in advance. There are limited visitors who receive access per day. The Alhambra includes the fortress and military settlement Alcazaba. Also the beautiful garden of Generalife is within the entrance gates of the Alhambra.
Generalife
The Palacio de Generalife (pronounced xe-ne-ra-li-fe) was the summer palace of the Nasrid rulers of the Emirates of Granada. As you understand, the origin is Arabic. It was Muhammad II (1273 – 1302) who built the palace. Generalife means something like the “garden of architecture”.
Today’s restoration of the magnificent garden makes it doubtful that it resembles the original version of the garden. But beautiful and cool it is. Generalife is on the UNESCO World Heritage list along with the Alhambra.
Albaicin
The historic Arab neighborhood of Granada is worth a visit or more. Here in Albaicin (Albayzín), picturesque streets are bordered by white brick houses in typical Moorish style. Here you will also find the street Calle Elvira (which ends at Puerta de Elvira), once Granada’s main street. This area is what will probably give you the city’s best views of the Alhambra.
Capilla Real and Catedral Santa Maria de la Encarnación
The royal chapel (Capilla Real) stretches an impressive 47 meters to the sky. As always, the interior of such chapels is something to be seen. Here are beautiful 16th century stone glass windows and seven large paintings by Alonso Cano.
You will also see the grave of King Ferdinand and his Isabelle, Philip the beautiful (Ruler of Burgundy) and more. But the biggest treasure is probably the sacristy, which includes paintings by celebrities such as Botticelli and van der Weyden. The address is 3 Calle Oficios.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria de la Encarnación itself is one of the most beautiful and magnificent Renaissance churches in Spain. The cathedral was originally built in a Gothic style in 1523, but later continued in other styles.
Basilica of St. John de Dios
Granada also has some Baroque architecture. The best example is probably the Basilica of St. John de Dios, located on the street of Calle San Juan de Dios 23. Pay special attention to detail ceilings and ceilings.
Forskningsparken
The Parque de las Ciencias located at the address with the aptly named Avenuda de la Ciencia is a dream for both children and adults. Here you can explore various marvels, see the latest in the latest in technology, study the human body and not least experience a planetarium with 7,000 stars. Here is also a great butterfly garden and much more!
