The Moorish Jewel

Granada is one of the pearls of Spain, most visited by tourists from all the world. The long-time capital of Moorish Andalucia has to offer the most important reminds of this epoch in Spanish history, with the world-famous "Alhambra" at the top of the list.

Walk through beautiful gardens, charming narrow streets filled with flowers, sit down in one of those typical taverns to have some of that famous "Trevélez" ham and local wine, and breath the centuries of history around you anywhere. There are gypsies singing "Flamenco", and don't miss to visit their famous "Cuevas" - caves - in the mountain of the monastery of Sacromonte where some of them really live still nowadays making magnificent artisany. Granada's popular festivals, based as well on Moorish as Christian tradition, are most attractive.

The city is located at the foot of the "Sierre Nevada", Spain's highest mountain-massif with great posssibilities for winter-sports. The highest peak, "Mulhacén" arrives to 3478 meters. On the other hand it is not far from the Mediterranean sea, so Granada is a great place to visit in any season.

Alhambra and the Gardens of the Generalife

This page offers you a tour through the most famous and impressive monument of Granada, and perhaps even of all Spain ...

Cathedral

This cathedral with its five naves is considered to be the most important Renaissance building of Spain. Built in the transition period of Gothic to Renaissance, it shows as well elements of this earlier style.
Specially remarkable are the main chapel, Capilla Mayor, the lateral chapels and of course the façade with its sculptures.

Capilla Real

The Royal Chapel was built between 1505 and 1521 under Spain's catholic kings. The northern front was lateron integrated in the cathedral. Worth visiting are specially the kings' tombs of marble from Carrara. The museum shows paintings of the collection of Queen Isabel, among them works of Van der Weyden, Botticelli, Bouts and Berruguete, the queen's crown and scepter and sword of King Fernando.

La Lonja

A market building from 16^th century, with a façade in plateresque style, close to cathedral and Capilla Real.

La Alcaicería 

The old Arabian silk-market, which has lost little of its lively ambience through the centuries. (Though today you are more likely to find souvenirs there ...)

El Albaicín 

In this part of town, located on a hill facing the Alhambra, was the king's residence during 11^th century. Of this time still exist remains of the walls of the Alcazaba, the arcs of Puerta Monaita, Puerta Elvira and Arco de las Pesas, Arabian bathes and the Palace of Dar Al-Horra, which belonged to the mother of King Boabdil.
Several churches were built over Arabian mosques, remains of which still can be seen in their interior. In Iglesia del Salvador we find remains of Granada's Great Mosque, in Iglesia de San Juan de los Reyes of the mosque of the Alcazaba, while Santa Isabela la Real bears remains of a Moorish palace. The church of San Juan de los Reyes shows two marvelous minarets, and under the Convent of Santa Catalina there are remains of an Arabian house of 11^th century.
Granada's Archaeological Museum shows highly interesting objects of prehistorical, phoenician and visigothic origins. Worth to mention are also the Church of San Nicolás, from where you have a fantastic view over Alhambra and Sierra Nevada, and the Royal Chancellery, Real Cancillería, a renaissance building with baroque elements.

Caves of Sacromonte

In those caves in the mountain of Sacromonte lived through centuries gypsies. Many of them have been changed into locals for tourists, decorated with ceramics and traditional copper-works, and are the scenery of Flamenco performances. Certainly something you shouldn't miss during your touristic visit to Granada.

Monastery of Sacromonte

The monastery was built at the place where, in 1594, treasure diggers found the famous lead plates with epigraphs of saints persecuted by Roman emperor Nero.

El Corral del Carbón

One of the most important Arabian buildings of its kind, a hotel of 14^thcentury. In 1500 it was changed to serve as a theater.

Palace of the Madraza

In the Arabian epoch this building was the university. Lateron it was changed totally, the façade today is baroque. Only the remarkable chapel is conserved in the original style.

La Cartuja

A baroque monastery of 1506, with very beautiful vestry.

San Jerónimo

A splendid Renaissance temple, built by Diego de Siloe and Florentino, the "Indian", with an extraordinary altar.