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Alhambra – part fortress, part palace, part garden and

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Alhambra – Granada, Spain

Part fortress, part palace, part garden and part government city the medieval complex of Alhambra overlooking the city of Grenada is one of the top tourist attractions in Spain.  The eightAlhambra-and-Generalife-Granada-Spain_82h century old site was named for the reddish walls and towers that surrounded the citadel: al-qal’a al-hamra in Arabic means red fort or castle. It’s the only surviving city  of the Islamic Golden Age and a remnant of the Nasrid Dynasty, the last Islamic kingdom in Western Europe.

Alhambra offers up stunning ornamental architecture, lush gardens, cascading water features and breathtaking views of the city.  The impressive complex is deservedly listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.  

Here are the 4 primary attractions (there are many more and all you have to is explore)

Alcazaba – This is the oldest part of Alhambra.  The ruins of this massive fortress sit atop the crest of a hill and provides the finest views of the entire city and the Sierra Nevada mountains.

View of Grenada from Alcazaba

Palace of Charles V – The most recent addition, this 16th century building was commissioned following the Reconquista by Charles as a royal residence close to the Alhambra Palace.  It has an impressive circular courtyard and 2 museums inside.

Palace of Charles V

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Granada, Spain retains Moorish influences

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Located at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Granada was the last stronghold of Moorish royalty who escaped to the area to avoid enemies, but in gentler times escaped to the area to avoid the summer heat. 

 If you are interested in avoiding the heat, or gravitating to warmer climes when the weather turns cold, GetAway Travel can help you plan that perfect trip. Granada has some stunning examples of medieval architecture, you can indulge in tapas and Sierra Nevada Park has Europe’s most southern ski resort. 

 Citadel, palaces reflect historic legacy 

 Between 1248 and 1354, during the occupation of Spain, Muslim kings left their mark on the area. Their citadels, or fortresses, were built on high ground to allow them to surveil the cities. When Catholic monarchs drove the Moors out, many palaces and mosques were demolished and new buildings erected on their foundations.  

 Alhambra, or Red Castle, is renowned for its Islamic legacy even though some of the palace had been revamped by the monarchs. 

 It is actually a compound with several palaces. Some wings of the original palace were torn down and a church was built on the site of the original mosque. There are two museums on the grounds. 

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