Yesterday we visited the main attraction of Granada: the Alhambra Castle and Palace. The palace was built by the Moors in the 1250s to the end of the 14th century and consists of gardens and buildings from the last Islamic dynasty in Spain. It is interesting to walk around the grounds, which are quite large and located on a hill with great views of both Granada and the Sierra Nevada.
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The Alhambra is a uniquely preserved building of Western Islamic architecture, and was one of the last Moorish strongholds to resist Christianity. Today, the Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Generalife gardens and the Albiacin neighbourhood of Granada.
The Alcazaba, first mentioned in 889, is the oldest part of the Alhambra. The current castle was built under Muhammad I al-Ghalib and has been restored several times. We don't really know what to make of this place.
Many love it but it didn't really stick and not even the old town which is charming but there is something missing. Maybe the simplicity and reminders of North Africa make it a bit boring and it feels like just stone just because. This didn't really resonate with us.
The Nasrid palaces
The Nasrid palaces consist of a series of courtyards and rooms within a simple fortified wall. The finest courtyards here are called the Myrtle Court and the Lion Court. Yusuf I (1333-1353) and his son Mohammad V (1353-1391) are responsible for most of the buildings in the palace that remain today.
Long queues
A minus for all the queuing though! We arrived at 12 o'clock and were only let in at 14:00. For one of the buildings, we had a ticket that granted entry only at 16:30... In addition, there was a lot of queuing and an uncountable display of the tickets. in on the site itself. We can't even imagine what it's like in the summer! If you plan to go here, we recommend buying a ticket in advance or being here very early.
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Isabel says:
Looks really nice but hard to wait :/
How long do you plan to spend on your trip?
26 February 2015 - 10:23
Marina says:
Wonderful! Longing to return, Andalusia is so beautiful. Do not forget the small white mountain villages such as Ronda or another cool city, Cadiz! Have a great time!
26 February 2015 - 11:09
admin says:
Isabel, we are out for 1 year with our motorhome, travelling around Europe, the coastal route. We started on the west coast of France and are now heading east in Spain.
Marina, we have heard a lot about Ronda and feel we missed that city... Now we are heading east along the Spanish coast!
26 February 2015 - 11:53
Ditte says:
Being there when they open is probably the best and having tickets bought well in advance.
But now the queue was finally paid for. Great!
26 February 2015 - 12:27
Henny says:
But oh so hard with the queues and so many people, it's probably not possible to enjoy and take in the atmosphere then. We visited Granada and the Alhambra in February and have no memory of any queues at all. (selective memory or ....)
26 February 2015 - 12:51
admin says:
Ditte, it's probably best to buy tickets in advance! (Although there may be some queuing inside the area anyway).
Henny, how interesting that you don't remember queues... maybe there have been less queues before? Or just the memory that saves you this boring detail?
😉
26 February 2015 - 14:06
Mr Lars Andersson says:
Hello!
Judging by the pictures, it was well worth the queue.
Great tips to be able to go to.
Goodbye!
Lars
26 February 2015 - 16:56
Ama de casa says:
The first time we were in Granada and at the Alhambra, we had pre-purchased tickets. They were digging up every street in town and there were demonstrations, so we arrived at the entrance about five minutes late. There were virtually no people there at all (November), but even so, it was a no-go. We were not allowed to enter the buildings! Absolutely incredible... We had Maggan with us who fixed it so it worked out, but still! How stupid as ever. If only it had been packed with people???
Besides, you can stay in there for as long as you want, so I don't know...
The other times we've been there, we've bought tickets at the entrance and it's been great - no long queues.
But beautiful, that's what it is
🙂
26 February 2015 - 17:49
Elisabeth says:
We have tickets until tomorrow, Friday!!!
26 February 2015 - 23:12
Marie says:
Oh, beautiful Alhambra! Sad with all the queuing inside, it's never fun to stand & wait.
27 February 2015 - 0:06
admin says:
Lars Andersson, it was worth the queue! But it would have been a better experience without the queue...
Ama de casa, that sounds crazy! But they were really super accurate with the times, we noticed that ...
Elisabeth, didn't know you were coming... sorry we missed you!!! Good that you have tickets!
Marie, it was nice, fortunately after the queue!
🙂
27 February 2015 - 0:24
Marina says:
Wonderful! Now it was not me, but another marina that has been in Ronda, but I will also remember that name, at some point I have planned a trip to this area, but it may be that the queue may be ... (I can always look at your pictures instead 😉 ).
27 February 2015 - 2:59
admin says:
Marina, but oh how silly, I was too fast there... Sorry for the mistake!
😉
27 February 2015 - 8:50
FANTASYDINING-A blog about themed restaurants and travel says:
Oh how beautiful I would like to go there!
01 March 2015 - 10:33