Granada, Spain

The fortified city of Granada is a timeless urban landscape encapsulating the history of the Andalusian region of Spain. Al Andalus, as it was known during the reign of the powerful Caliphate of Cordoba, feels like a different country. The scents of roses and orange blossoms, the sounds of flamenco and robustious tapas bars, the lonely white villages tucked into dry hillsides, medieval islamic palaces, and the tastes of North African influenced cuisine sets up an aura of romanticism for anyone lucky enough to visit. For me, no other city embodies the region more than Granada and its most precious landmark: The Alhambra.

Granada is as much a college town as it is a tourist destination. Students populate the many cafes and bars along with the older generations. Music, especially flamenco guitar, can be heard in every corner of the city. Musicians meet in groups at night to practice, serenading entire neighborhoods with their guitars and rhythmic clapping. The music carries through the narrow cobble stone streets, down the steep hillsides opposing the mighty Alhambra. You can imagine a time when gallant knights and merchants on horseback used these avenues to enter the old city.

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Granada’s nightlife revolves around socializing over savory tapas and late night walks to the old sections of the city where young people mingle under the stars. People of all ages can be found engaging in a rousing discussions about tradition and politics while dangling their legs over the medieval park walls or sipping sherry in a late night cafe.

Politics have always been at the center of the city’s conversations since the city’s beginning as a Visigoth stronghold. Muslim kingdoms from Morocco crossed the narrow Strait of Gibraltar in the early 8th century and made their way through the Visigoth kingdom’s southern territories. The hill in which the city’s main settlements were located became known as Garnata al Jahud; and soon the word Garnata would evolve into Granada.　

The Muslim Caliphate of Cordoba began loosing territory to the Christian Kingdoms of Northern Spain. The remaining forces fled south to the independent emerate run by Mohammed ibn Yusuf ibn Nasr, which would become the Emerate of Granada which would become the last kingdom of Al Andalus. Granada would rule the southern Iberian peninsula for around 250 years, making it one of Europe’s richest and powerful capital cities.

Granada peaked in prosperity by the 14th century and it looked like the Emirs of Granada would rule for another century. That is until a jealous feud erupted within the royal family which led to a bloody civil war. The Christian armies from the north seized the opportunity, laying siege to the city in the late 15th century. Isabel and Fernando, the rulers of the newly unified kingdom of Spain, took the city and established their royal court in the grand palace of the emirs: the Alhambra.

With the Spanish inquisition Spanish Muslims and Jews were executed or expelled. This type of bloodshed and persecution lasted for several centuries. Granada fell into social unrest and poverty. As other regions of Spain started to blossom during the Industrial revolution and the Romantic period spread intellectual and artistic advancement, Granada trailed behind. Its history remained bleak throughout the Spanish civil war, where thousands were executed for their left-leaning political ideals.

The end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century have alternatively been good for the city. Tourism, thanks to its numerous cultural landmarks and one of the world’s most visited UNESCO World Heritage Sites has made Granada one of the Region’s most economically vibrant cities.

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Granada’s Food Scene

Granada, for me, is all about the tapas. These delectable morsels come complementary, paired with your drink. Rose? How about some grilled cuttlefish! Dark red Tempranillo born out of the sun soaked mountains surrounding the city? Several slices of melt in your mouth Jamón!

There are rarely menus in these crowded establishments which makes first timers to the city feel flustered. But rest assured that with every drink you order you will be served something incredible!

My favorite centers for discovering Granadas’s fabulous eateries and cafes were the Plaza de Gracia just west of the Alhambra and the Plaza de Trinidad. These squares boast some of the city’s best restaurants and are packed with locals. The tourists generally stay put around Plaza Nueva.

Granada’s famous for having some of the best wine in Spain. The wine growing region known as denominación de origen de Granada or D.O Granada surrounds the city. Because of the high altitude many grape varietals can be grown successfully. Like the rest of Andalusia fortified wines known as Sherry and Malaga are consumed with passion. Sherry is made from the Palomino grape grown in western Andalusia and Malaga is produced using Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel grapes. There are dozens of wine bars in the city that offer tastings and plenty of local knowledge.

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Worthy Sights

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Alhambra

Very few buildings evoke a similar sense of awe in people. Seeing it for the first time it’s unimaginable that something so old could be so elaborate. Centuries have passed and the Alhambra still stands as one of the worlds most beautiful and precisely detailed structures.

In the 11th century the Moorish king renovated a lowly fortress situated on Al-Sabika Hill in South Eastern Granada. What he re-imagined far exceeded anyone’s wildest dreams. The exquisite detail in every facet of the design, incorporating biology and astronomy into the facades and ceilings, makes the building an architectural marvel.

The Alhambra’s most notable sections are the three Nazrid palaces: The Comares Palace, the Palace of the Lions, and the Partal Palace, each built in the 14th century. Inside the palaces you will follow the hallways leading to the large chambers and gardens. It’s important to mind your step as you gaze above at the Fibonacci like carvings chiseled on the ceilings, keeping in mind that all of this was designed and built pre-renaissance, pre-industrial, and pre-computer. The amount of care and precise calculation that went into designing and carving the palace interiors is mind boggling and will leave you in a state of veneration.

Further inside I found my favorite section, the Palace of the Lions. Its sleek marble floors and thin columns look like something out of a fantasy novel. Even more impressive is the hydrological system that was designed so that water continuously flows through the center of the courtyard out of a large marble basin supported by twelve lion statues.

All sections of the interior have a specific geometric design and purpose Celestial patterns, political slogans, or quranic verses cover the walls and ceilings. One of the most striking is the ceiling of the Comares Tower which represents the heavens in incredible detail.

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Originally painted in lavish hues most of the ceilings and walls have lost their color. Regardless of their paleness you can’t help but to feel astonished at the detail and intricacy of the carvings. As you look up you see patterns representing astronomical observations and complex patterns found in nature. Arcs and parabolas weave through each other as if they’re drawing a map of time and space. These mathematical nature designs are best represented in the Hall of Kings.

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Islamic art and architecture puts a high value on the use of tiles and the Alhambra is no exception. Tiles serve several functions inside the palace. Their smooth surface absorbs heat from bodies and other stones, creating a cooling effect during the hot summer months. Their colors have an importance not only in accentuating the allure of the hallways but also represent the sacred elements of Islam.

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During the height of Al Andalus these rooms would have been filled with colorful rugs, musical instruments, and people dressed in the finest cloth in midieval Europe. The social and political scene that evolved around the palace would have been novel worthy.

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Persimmon trees and other fruit baring plants cover the Partal Gardens facing Carlos V palace. Fountains and herbs decorate the inner courtyard as birds nestle in the shrubs growing from the facade. As you exit the gardens it is a must to stroll through the Generalife gardens and palace. Roses adorn the trails that weave up the hillside to large trees that shade the grassy open spaces. These are some of the best areas in the city to picnic.

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On the western side of the Alhambra lies the Alcazaba, a fortress that has defended the palace for centuries. Its military barracks and towers overlook the city and the rest of the Alhambra providing some of the best views possible.

As with any major world monument in Europe purchase your tickets early. For the Alhambra several months in advance is smart. Also plan on being there for the whole day. The morning time slot is preferable because it allows enough time to wonder and get lost, which is something everyone should be doing while here.

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The Old City

After roaming the Alhambra my travel partner and I decided to spend the evening walking down the Carrera del Darro. Granada’s romantic cobblestone road follows the Darro river which carves out a natural barrier between the city and the hill supporting the Alhambra.

Walking up hill from the Carrera Del Darro you pass beautiful homes and shops perched precariously on the hillside. This is the old Moorish section of the city known as Albayzin, one of Granada’s must see World Heritage Sites. The neighborhood is full of historic monuments, 11th century walls, and narrow alleyways lined with ornamental citrus and olive hedges. The view of the Alhambra from the ancient Muslim neighborhood is incredible.

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Granada Cathedral

What makes the grand cathedral in central Granada unique is that construction didn’t begin until the 16th century. The islamic Nasrid kingdom held a firm grip on the region until the acquisition around 1492. originally planned as a gothic cathedral it was built at a time when Spanish renaissance designs were beginning to flourish. The final design wasn’t completed until over 180 years after the initial groundbreaking in 1526. Today the cathedral is the seat of the Archdiocese of Granada and one of the city’s most visited landmarks.

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In Closing

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Granada is one of Andalusia’s great cities. Its timeless architecture transports the visitor back to the days of Moorish rule, a time that continues to inspire countless artists, poets, and musicians. Music, always at the heart of events and festivities, rings out over the city. And for the foodie few cities can deliver such incredible non-stop experiences. Granada is a a gem in the hills, a palace of a city, one that left an unshakable imprint on me forever and one I can’t wait to visit again.