Granada.. See Video of Granada
...........................Alhambra Palace video
Favoured by its magnificent emplacement at the bottom of the Sierra Nevada, Granada is the epitome of ancient Moorish art and architecture which is embodied in its world renowned Alhambra Castle; considered by some to be one of the 10 wonders of the world.
The walls surrounding the city correspond to each chapter of its history: the most ancient being the Cadima Fortress from the period of the Ziries. However, the city's real life stood not here but at its gateways, through which everything would pass, where merchants would meet and news be exchanged.
Granada has its usual quotient of churches, museums etc., typical of a southern European city. Granada, however, also has the Alhambra, which is a massive castle constructed over many centuries consisting of gardens, fortifications and sumptuous palaces. It was the home of many of the Arabic Sultans who ruled the whole province so for centuries it received the optimum in interior decoration and architecture. If you read the Koran it continually repeats the idea that heaven is a garden with running water. From this perspective you could say that the Alhambra is an Arabic attempt to create heaven on earth. Nowadays it receives 8000 visitors per day and is Spain's most visited monument.
The Albaicín is the old Arabic quarter located on the hill opposite the Alhambra. It is characterised by cobbled stoned streets with white washed houses. Despite several centuries of neglect and architectural barbarities allowed by the town council it still retains a strong Arabic feeling; (the Arabic population was ethnically cleansed just over 500 years ago). There are many squares with terrazas and places to laze about and have a bite to eat. The Albaicín is an oil painter's paradise and almost at every turn of the head there is an attractive view, almost always involving glimpses of the Alhambra. If you go to a shop which sells any of the typical ‘granadino' pottery (white background with strong blue shapes) you will be sure to read the oft quoted refrain: ‘Give him alms woman, because there is nothing as bad as being blind in Granada'. Go to Mirador de San Nicolás and you will see what they mean.
The hill, La Sabica, preserves on its peak the Alhambra itself, while on its shady side towards the river Genil, it supports the barrio of the Churra, stretching towards the east via the fuente del Avellano and the cuesta de los Chinos.
On the opposite bank, towards the south, its slopes dip to the Antequeruela and then on to the Realejo and the Campo del Príncipe. Indeed, what would be Granada without its hills?
The Sierra Nevada Mountain Range occupies a considerable surface area of the provinces of Granada and Almería, with approximately 170,000 hectares being National Park, and includes 60 municipalities in the nature reserves of El Marquesado del Zenete, Valle de Lecrín, Sierra Nevada Poniente, the river basin of the Nacimiento River and la Alpujarra. The Mulhacén, at 3,481 meters is the highest summit on the Iberian Península but there are 20 others that exceed 3,000 metres, among them being el Veleta y la Alcazaba del Mulhacén.
Located in the foothills of the Cerro del Trevenque, and reached by a footpath with magnificent views, is the Botánico de la Cortijuela (Botanical Gardens), whose function is to generate, protect, conserve and investigate the flora of the mountain range. It also includes a nursery that encourages student studies.
The traditional ceremony of Granada is the Corpus Christi Parade where the streets are covered with flowers and people sing and dance all night. Granada's official festival lasts for eight days in June. It starts with the Eucharist Procession when a religious figure is carried from the cathedral through the city streets on the back of a carriage filled with flowers. The crowds throw herbs and flowers onto the ground as the procession arrives and then follow the funfair to Almanjar on the outskirts of town. Locals put on their traditional Andalusian suits and dresses, take their carefully groomed horses and carriages and set out to enjoy the stalls, rides, games and competitions. The wine flows freely and there's singing and dancing from late afternoon to early morning. The year's best series of bullfights are scheduled for these eight days and a special bus service is laid on to take the public to the fair.
If you plan to visit Granada in the summer, remember that it gets VERY hot!

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