Apr
01
2012
May
31
2012
Sep
01
2012
Oct
31
2012
Apr
01
2013
May
31
2013
Sep
01
2013
Oct
31
2013
Apr
01
2014
May
31
2014
Sep
01
2014
Oct
31
2014
Apr
01
2015
May
31
2015
Sep
01
2015
Oct
31
2015
Apr
01
2016
May
31
2016
Sep
01
2016
Oct
31
2016
The Alhambra: Perhaps the World's Best Preserved Moorish Fortress
Published by Jeff McCreight, Writer
Country: Spain 
The Experience
Many people who only have a brief time in Spain put Granada on their short list of places to visit. This is because Granada is a beautiful, hilly town in the southern state of Andalucía that charmingly represents some of the most exotic and beautiful elements of Spanish culture. Here you find winding roads through ancient Moorish neighbourhoods, plentiful shade from orange and lemon trees, flamenco culture, an elegant cathedral, and the world-famous Alhambra Palace: perhaps the world's best preserved Moorish fortress.
Any visit to Granada should include a few days for sightseeing and at least one full day for a visit to the Alhambra. This is not a single building but an expansive complex including battlements, a palace, a royal garden and various state buildings added in later centuries. While admission isn't unreasonably expensive, there are separate Alhambra tickets to buy for visits to different areas; and in the high season reservations are a must.
Rising above the city on a steep hill beside the river, the Alhambra in Granada looms over everything, with flags fluttering. The walk up to the main entrance is itself beautiful, and you pass through a small Mediterranean forest landscaped with fountains and containing the ruins of medieval structures. It quickly becomes apparent why the Moors chose this hill. The view is commanding, and they would have been able to use their advanced engineering skills to redirect the adjoining river to irrigate this high defensible outcrop.
Within the grounds, the tiered gardens are a princely paradise where generations of rulers consorted with nobles and gazed out over the kingdom. The complicated irrigation channels, archways, benches and sculpted vegetation were the height of luxury in their time, and have been a beacon to architects and artists all over the world for centuries.
The adjoining Alhambra Palace is largely intact, offering one of the best glimpses into Moorish life and art available anywhere. Filled with mosaics and intricate stone carving, the palace reflects the splendour and extravagance of a radiant bygone culture. The artwork found here is on a par with some of the best preserved, ancient mosques in the Middle East and India.
As with any visit to a castle, a great part of the fun is walking the defensive wall and imagining enemy raiders at the gates. The Alhambra offers a chance to walk up winding stone stairways, peer through arrow slits, and examine the workings of a castle interior. The Alhambra museum on the grounds offers visitors a deeper look into the culture that built the complex and its relevance to Spanish Culture.
The art and architecture of the Alhambra is stunning, but the integration into its setting is what makes it sublime. From the palace gardens you will look up and see the white-capped Sierra Nevada mountains. This is where the water comes from that forms the river rushing past the exterior fortress wall. After water is diverted from the river to tend these gardens, and once quench the king's thirst, it continues into the shimmering valleys of Andalucía, full of cypress trees and green pastures. Eventually the land meets the Mediterranean shore where you can stand on a bluff and see Africa, the Moorish homeland, not too far away.
Any visit to Granada should include a few days for sightseeing and at least one full day for a visit to the Alhambra. This is not a single building but an expansive complex including battlements, a palace, a royal garden and various state buildings added in later centuries. While admission isn't unreasonably expensive, there are separate Alhambra tickets to buy for visits to different areas; and in the high season reservations are a must.
Rising above the city on a steep hill beside the river, the Alhambra in Granada looms over everything, with flags fluttering. The walk up to the main entrance is itself beautiful, and you pass through a small Mediterranean forest landscaped with fountains and containing the ruins of medieval structures. It quickly becomes apparent why the Moors chose this hill. The view is commanding, and they would have been able to use their advanced engineering skills to redirect the adjoining river to irrigate this high defensible outcrop.
Within the grounds, the tiered gardens are a princely paradise where generations of rulers consorted with nobles and gazed out over the kingdom. The complicated irrigation channels, archways, benches and sculpted vegetation were the height of luxury in their time, and have been a beacon to architects and artists all over the world for centuries.
The adjoining Alhambra Palace is largely intact, offering one of the best glimpses into Moorish life and art available anywhere. Filled with mosaics and intricate stone carving, the palace reflects the splendour and extravagance of a radiant bygone culture. The artwork found here is on a par with some of the best preserved, ancient mosques in the Middle East and India.
As with any visit to a castle, a great part of the fun is walking the defensive wall and imagining enemy raiders at the gates. The Alhambra offers a chance to walk up winding stone stairways, peer through arrow slits, and examine the workings of a castle interior. The Alhambra museum on the grounds offers visitors a deeper look into the culture that built the complex and its relevance to Spanish Culture.
The art and architecture of the Alhambra is stunning, but the integration into its setting is what makes it sublime. From the palace gardens you will look up and see the white-capped Sierra Nevada mountains. This is where the water comes from that forms the river rushing past the exterior fortress wall. After water is diverted from the river to tend these gardens, and once quench the king's thirst, it continues into the shimmering valleys of Andalucía, full of cypress trees and green pastures. Eventually the land meets the Mediterranean shore where you can stand on a bluff and see Africa, the Moorish homeland, not too far away.
When to Go to Alhambra
Because this is such a popular destination, the best time to visit the Alhambra in Granada is definitely during the shoulder seasons, spring and fall, when traffic is lighter. Also, the summer months here are oppressively hot. Even so, book your Alhambra tickets in advance or you risk arriving to a sold-out ticket office any time of year. Granada is beautiful in winter, but it’s cold, and it snows.
Odds n' Ends
Perhaps equally responsible for attracting tourists to Granada is the city's reputation for tapas. In many parts of Spain it's customary for bars to provide a bite to eat free of charge with any alcoholic beverage. They take this tradition seriously here, and a small beer or glass of wine includes a sandwich, a plate of paella, a small assortment of meats, or some other appetizer. The portions are famously generous in Grenada, so it's easy to eat a meal for the price of two or three cañas (small beers).
Places to Stay Nearby
Search over 900,000 global hotel deals from over 30 merchants. Book via Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Priceline and the websites of popular hotel chains.
0 miles away
$61 EUR+
Spending a night in the Alhambra gardens surrounded by fountains, trees and arch windows is an exclusive opportunity offered by the hotel - a former ... 0 miles away
$254 EUR+
+ 23 others. Show all.
More Experiences Nearby
- Marvel Over the Mezquita Great Mosque in Cordoba, Spain
- Cordoba's Great Mosque in Andalusia, southern Spain, is a glory of the Islamic world and Europe's most magnificent Muslim monument. What makes this UNESCO World Heritage Site especially intriguing is its long and checkered history, once serving as a Roman temple, Visigothic cathedral, Christian church, and Moorish mosque. Today, the Great Mosque of Cordoba (“La Mezquita”) is Cordoba's cathedral, known as the “Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption” since the Spanish Reconquista (711-1492) saw the Moorish empire fall to Christian conquerors. A curious blend of architectural styles and Islamic influences still linger inside Cordoba Mezquita's stunning interior. For many ...81 miles away.
While You're There - Tours and Trips Nearby
In the morning, visit one of the most visited monuments in the world The Alhambra (approximately 2.5 hours). Its construction was started by the founder ...0.44 miles away via Granada.
$70+
+ 14 others. Show all.
Carpe Diem! Book to do this experience now!
Your visit begins in the Alhambra, whose construction began in the 11th century on the red hill known as Assabika which overlooks Granada. The Alcazaba ...
Starting from $59.39 per person.
Starting from $59.39 per person.
Books and DVDs
Travel Insurance. Simple & Flexible.
Language Guides
Portugese 
,
Spanish
are some of the languages spoken in Spain. If you know of a freely available phrase book or podcast for one of the missing languages, let us know!
Discussion
Experienced this and have something to share? Experienced something like this somewhere else? Looking for advise or travel companions? Use this space to leave your mark. Our writers and editors are more than happy to help answer your questions.
Recent Tweets
Listed below are the most recent comments made on Twitter for "Alhambra":
