TEKST DOSTĘPNY TAKŻE PO POLSKU
"Quién no ha visto Granada, no ha visto nada", meaning "Who has not seen Granada, did not see anything" – I fully agree with this Spanish saying. It's my favorite city. I fell in love with it at first sight. I traveled there five or six times, the first time in 2004 and the last in 2013, when I had a chance to visit it just for three hours... But it was worth it. If I had to move somewhere outside of Poland, it would certainly be Grenada.
Granada
is the capital of the province of the same name, in the region of Andalusia,
which is washed by the warm waters of the Mediterranean, and from the north is
surrounded by snow-capped – sometimes even in the summer – peaks of the Sierra
Nevada. You need several days to visit the city, the obligatory points are the
Alhambra (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Sacromonte, the cathedral and the Carthusian monastery.
Sightseeing
*Alhambra – a palace and fortress complex on the left bank of
the river Darro, in front of the district Albaicín and the Alcazaba. You can
get here from the city center by bus or take a somewhat strenuous walk up the
hill (about 20-30 minutes) to the Gate of Judgment (Puerta de la Justicia ),
built in 1348, passing through the Gate of Pomegranates (Puerta de las Granadas).
There
are so many interesting things to see that you can easily spend a few hours
here, and it will still not be enough to discover everything. In my opinion it is best to explore the Alhambra by
yourself, without the group and guide who will rush you through the place. Just remember that the admission to certain parts is specified
strictly on the ticket so you need to adjust the order of sightseeing. What
makes this place so unique is a beautiful architecture which is a blend of
European and Arab styles.
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| Alhambra |
Alcazaba – this part was a fortress; a beautiful
cypress alley leads to the Gate of Wine (Puerta del Vino) through which you
enter this part. Three towers
survived in ancient fortifications: Broken Tower (Torre Quebrada) – named after
it has collapsed, Tower of the Homage (Torre del Homenaje) and Watchtower
(Torre de la Vela). From the
entrance to the Alcazaba extends Adarves Garden (Jardín de los Adarves), named after
its beautiful walking paths. One of them
connects with the Vermilion Tower (Torre Bermejas); in this section there is a
mirador, or lookout platform, which offers a breathtaking panorama of the city.
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| There are many ponds and fountains in the Alhambra |
Court of the Myrtles – the focal point of the Alhambra; things deserving
attention here are: Sala de la Barca (former waiting room a) with a ceiling in
the shape of a boat and the Hall of the Ambassadors (Salón de los Ambasadores)
– one of the most beautiful in the whole complex, with a dome which is a
masterpiece of marquetry and a pattern for decorating representation halls (diplomatic
and political center of the Arab Granada).
Court of the Lions – the most perfect example of Moorish ornamentation,
with a fountain supported by 12 lions; there are here: Hall of the Mocárabes; Hall of the Kings – with polychrome paintings on the
ceiling, the Hall of the Two Sisters (Sala de las Dos Hermanas) – with a dome
honeycombed with tiny cells which is an example of the stalactite vaulting and the
Hall of Abencerrages (Sala de los Abencerrajes) – with a dome in the shape of a
star.
Palace of Charles V (Palacio de Carlos V) – built
right in the center of the Alhambra, the Imperial Palace of Charles V, built in
the Roman Renaissance style; big portals have a shape of Roman triumphal
arches, with lots of statues and bas-reliefs. The upper part houses the Museum of Fine Arts (Museo
de Bellas Artes), which presents paintings and sculptures from the fifteenth to
the twentieth century, and the Museum of the Alhambra (Museo de la Alhambra)
exhibits works of Arab masters.
Generalife – the
Arabic name means "a heavenly garden of the architect"; consists of a
labyrinth of alleys, gardens, courtyards with fountains and fountains,
pavilions, terraces, waterfalls, galleries and porticos. Behind the entrance
gate there is a courtyard with a long canal in the middle, lots of waterworks
and palace of the sultans. From the
Court of the Cypresses (Patio de los Cipreses) you can walk to a mirador from where
you can admire a beautiful panorama of the city. Near there is interesting Escalera del Agua – long
staircase and in which the water flows. How refreshing during hot days!
Partal and Medina – he partal
was once a four-wing palace with ponds and gardens in the middle, and the medina
is the remains of the center of the City of Alhambra, which once housed
residences of the officials of the sultan,
barracks, baths, a mosque, palace and pantheon of the rulers. On the ruins of the mosque now stands the church of
Santa María de Alhambra; the palace itself was converted into a Franciscan
monastery and now it houses an elegant parador which offers a luxury accommodation.
Official website: www.alhambra-patronato.es
Official website: www.alhambra-patronato.es
*Albaicín – an old historic district with a climate of the Moorish
Granada.
* Sacromonte – on the other side of the river. The biggest Arab district was built by Muslim refugees
from Baeza acquired in 1227 by the army of the Holy Fernando III. They lived here till the uprising on Christmas Eve in
1568 when part of the population was slaughtered and part fled to the
mountains. Christian
population took the Moorish tradition of living in the so-called carmenes. These are villas with outbuildings, orchard and
garden. You can see them in the Interpretation Centre of the Sacromonte (Centro Interpretación del Sacromonte). One of the
most interesting places here is the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum of
Granada (Museo Arqueológico y Etnológico de Granada, Carrera del Darro 43). Apart from the archaeological exhibits you can be find
here also wroks made by the Spanish and Islamic craftsmen as well as the
objects found in the Cueva de los Murcielagos in the mountains of the
Alpujarras. After seeing
the historic Arab Baths, you can pleasantly relax in Baños Arabes Al Andalus
(c/ Santa Ana 16).
*Cathedral
of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Incarnation (Catedral de Santa María de la
Encarnación) – a Gothic-Renaissance, impressive building in the city center. The conquest of the
Alhambra by the Catholic Monarchs symbolized the unity of the kingdom
of Spain, so there were built here monumental buildings that were to witness this
greatness. Firstly they built the Capilla Real (c/ Officios 3) in the
flamboyant Gothic style. In the
mausoleum there are sarcophagi of Ferdinand and Isabella made from the Carrara
marble, and the coffins of their daughter Joanna the Mad and her husband,
Philip the Handsome. The
construction of the cathedral (Gran Vía) in the Gothic style started in 1523,
after finishing the chapel. Later its style
has been change to Renaissance-one.
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| Interpretation Centre of the Sacromonte |
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| Cathedral |
*Carthusian Monastery (Monasterio de la Cartuja) – Paseo de la Cartuja, its characteristic feature is
the accumulation of images, called Churrigueresque (a Spanish Baroque style),
making it the most beautiful and extravagant monastery in Spain.
*Park of Sciencie (Parque de las Ciencias) – in this interactive museum you can touch everything; one can experience the phenomena of physics here, such as inertia and gravity, you can also play with light and sound,understand the motion of the earth, the greenhouse effect or demographic boom; www.parqueciencias.com
*Park of Sciencie (Parque de las Ciencias) – in this interactive museum you can touch everything; one can experience the phenomena of physics here, such as inertia and gravity, you can also play with light and sound,understand the motion of the earth, the greenhouse effect or demographic boom; www.parqueciencias.com
Worth to know
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| Queen Isabella and Columbus Monument in the center of Granada |
*Central bus station is located at Carretera de Jaén, a bit far from the
center, buses for Alicante, Málaga, Almería, Jaén, Cádiz, Córdoba, Madrid,
Ronda and Seville (among others) depart from here.
*From
the train
station on Avenida
de Andaluces trains to many cities on the coast depart, including Algeciras,
Almería, Antequera, Málaga and Seville as well as to Córdoba, Madrid and even
to Valencia.
*Accommodation – everyone will find a suitable place for their needs
and pocket, both elegance paradores, hotels or hostels, as well as camping
sites (near the bus station), you can also find private rooms.
*Area: Grenada is an excellent starting point to make an excursion to Málaga,
Seville and Córdoba, the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains, as well as to one of the
coastal towns.