They say that if you see one Spanish city it should be Granada, a city so blessed with architectural and historical splendor that the entire city has been declared a national monument, mostly in homage to the Alhambra, a 14th century castle fortress like no other.

The extraordinary fortress-palace represents the peak of Moorish art in Spain, set high on a mountain spur below the towering Sierra Nevada. The castle's very existence reminds visitors of Granada's long Arabic history, which lasted through two centuries of Christian reconquest in Spain before the country was finally conquered by Ferdinand and Isabella in January 1492, after a 10-year war.

The Alhambra is made up of a series of fortresses, gardens and palaces, which look over the fertile valley plains with the town of Granada spread around its base. The oldest part of the fortress is the Alcazaba, with an impressive courtyard marked with imposing towers. After the Alcazaba was created, various rulers built palaces, chapels and other buildings regularly. Most are given an Arabic twist with brilliant tile and plaster decoration, rare Islamic ceiling paintings, and courtyards filled with orange trees and fountains.

The Alhambra is indeed a marvel that has drawn millions of tourists to its beauty, especially after American diplomat Washington Irving gave the Alhambra a romantic image in his "Tales from the Alhambra," published in 1832. An excellent source for the Alhambra palace is the official Alhambra Patronato web site.

But Granada is more than just the Alhambra. It's said that visitors come to see the Alhambra and stay to see the city. Notable city sights include the Gothic Cathedral with religious paintings by Granada master Alonso Cana, the 16th century Noble Girls School, and the Plateresque Ecclesiastic Curia.

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Moorish Granada

Granada's glory was always precarious. It was established as an independent kingdom in 1238 by Ibn Ahmar , a prince of the Arab Nasrid tribe which had been driven south from Zaragoza. He proved a just and capable ruler but all over Spain the Christian kingdoms were in the ascendant. The Moors of Granada survived only through paying tribute and allegiance to Fernando III of Castile - whom they were forced to assist in the conquest of Muslim Sevilla - and by the time of Ibn Ahmar's death in 1275 theirs was the only surviving Spanish Muslim kingdom. It had, however, consolidated its territory (stretching from just north of the city down to a coastal strip between Tarifa and Almería) and, stimulated by refugees, developed a flourishing commerce, industry and culture.

By a series of shrewd manoeuvres Granada maintained its autonomy for two and a half centuries, its rulers turning for protection, in turn as it suited them, to the Christian kingdoms of Aragon and Castile and to the Merinid Muslims of Morocco. The city-state enjoyed a particularly confident and prosperous period under Yusuf I (1334-54) and Mohammed V (1354-91), the sultans responsible for much of the existing Alhambra palace. But by the mid-fifteenth century a pattern of coups and internal strife became established and a rapid succession of rulers did little to stem Christian inroads. In 1479 the kingdoms of Aragón and Castile were united by the marriage of Fernando and Isabel and within ten years had conquered Ronda, Málaga and Almería. The city of Granada now stood completely alone, tragically preoccupied in a civil war between supporters of the sultan's two favourite wives. The Reyes Católicos made escalating and finally untenable demands upon it, and in 1490 war broke out. Boabdil , the last Moorish king, appealed in vain for help from his fellow Muslims in Morocco, Egypt and Ottoman Turkey, and in the following year Fernando and Isabel marched on Granada with an army said to total 150,000 troops. For seven months, through the winter of 1491, they laid siege to the city, and on January 2, 1492, Boabdil formally surrendered its keys. The Christian Reconquest of Spain was complete.

Bars and Nighlife

Enjoyable central bars include Bodegas Castañeda on the corner of Calle Elvira and Calle Almireceros, near the top of the Gran Vía, a traditional, though modernized, bodega , the lively Bodegas La Mancha , Calle Joaquín Costa 10 around the corner, and the earthy Bar Sabanilla , Calle San Sebastián 14, up an alley off the southeast corner of Plaza Bib Rambla, which claims to be the oldest bar in Granada, and serves a free tapa with every drink. The bar of the Hotel Reina Cristina , Calle Tablas 4 off the Plaza de la trinidad - the building in which Lorca spent his last days before being seized by the fascists - is also an excellent place for a tapa and a glass of fino . All these stay open until around midnight. If you want to go on drinking through the early hours , head out to the student areas round the university. Calle San Juan de Dios (and its continuations Calle Gran Capitán and Plaza Gran Capitán ), Carril del Picón and Calle Pedro Antonio de Alarcón are all extremely lively. The streets to the east of the latter - Calle Casillas de Prats, Calle Trajano and Plaza Menorca - have most of the pubs and disco-bars ; current vogue places include Biblioteca, Gente Guapa, Black is Beautiful, Pub M, Babel and Chueka 7, though new places open almost weekly in summer.

Other places to try are Granada 10 , near the cathedral at Calle Carcel Baja 10, a beautifully restored retro cinema that reopens as a disco when the films finish; Dar Ziryab , nearby at Calle Caldereria Nueva 11, an Arabic cultural centre that often stages live traditional music; and, just south of Plaza de la trinidad, Salsero Mayor , Calle La Paz 20, which specializes in salsa, merengue and Latin jazz. The Campo del Príncipe, a square on the eastern slopes of the Alhambra, is another popular drinking haunt, as are the areas around Plaza Nueva, where on weekend evenings throngs of drinkers jam the streets solid, and the Carrera del Darro ( running alongside the Rio Darro below the Alhambra ) - La Sal , Calle Marques de Falces, Pie de la Vela , a gay and lesbian (but not exclusively so) bar just off Plaza Nueva on Paseo de los tristes, and Rincon de San Pedro , Carrera del Darro, a mixed-music gay bar, are all worth seeking out. For flamenco , one of the most touristy and heavily promoted of shows is Los Jardines Neptuno , Calle Arabial (near the Parque García Lorca in the south of the city; tel 958 522 533; tickets about ( Euros ) 24), best avoided in summer when they bus in the tour groups but better in winter, with an intimate atmosphere and a log fire in the bar. Alternatively Eshavira , Calle Postigo Cuna (off Gran Vía), is a jazz/flamenco bar with a great atmosphere and live performances.

Sacromonte
Like many cities of Andalucia, Granada has an ancient and still considerable gitano ( gypsy ) population, from whose clans many of Spain's best flamenco guitarists, dancers and singers have emerged. traditionally the gypsies inhabit cave homes on the Sacromonte hill , and many still do, giving displays of zambras to the tourists. These can occasionally be good, though more often they're straight-faced and fabulously shameless rip-offs: you're hauled into a cave, leered at if you're female, and systematically extorted of all the money you've brought along (for the dance, the music, the castanets, the watered-down sherry & ). The simple solution is to take only as much money as you want to part with. Turn up mid-evening; the lines of caves begin off the Camino de Sacramonte, just above the Casa del Chapiz. When the university is in session, several of the cave dwellings are turned into discos , packed with students at weekends.

Eating and Drinking
When it comes to restaurants Granada certainly isn't one of the gastronomic centres of Spain, possibly due in part to the granadino tapas bars which tempt away potential diners by giving out some of the most generous tapas in Andalucía - one comes free with every drink. We have recommended a few of the best of these, and the municipal tourist office gives out a handy tapas bar leaflet to help you locate more. A flavour of North Africa is to be found along Calle Caldereria Nueva and its surrounds in "Little Morocco", where you'll find health-food stores as well as numerous Moroccan tearooms and eating places. This street is useful for assembling picnics for Alhambra visits, as is the revamped ultramodern Mercado Municipal in Plaza San Agustin just north of the cathedral (Mon-Fri early until 1.30pm). Inexpensive restaurants - most serving an economical menú del dia - can be found among the inevitable tourist traps all over Granada. The warren of streets between Plaza Nueva and Gran Via has plenty of good-value places, particularly tapas bars, as does the area around Plaza del Carmen (near the ayuntamiento ) and along Calle Navas leading away from it. Another good location is the Campo del Principe , a pleasant square below the south side of the Alhambra hill, with a line of open-air restaurant terraces, highly popular on summer nights.

There really is a wide and varied choice when it comes to accomodation in Granada. Here are some of the top rated hotels.

The Alhambra Palace is on the most popular Hotels in Granada. The interior of the Alhambra Palace Hotel is full of exquisite features inspired by the adjacent palace. Its spacious hall is covered in marble, arches, ornate stonework and rich fabrics – a glimpse into Granada’s impressive Moorish heritage. This charming decor extends to your own room, where you can marvel at the distinctive, Islamic touches such as the intricate tiles in the marble bathroom. The hotel is set on the same hilltop as the palace, allowing you fantastic views over the city of Granada and the mountains of the Sierra Nevada and Alpujarras beyond.

The Hesperia Granada is another popular choice. Recently renovated the historic building that is the home of the hotel Hesperia Granada, provides fantastic accommodation in the heart of the old town. Original features, like the central atrium, bring a wonderful atmosphere to the hotel, an oasis of calm within the lively setting . Perfectly located to explore and discover old Granada and the Alhambra, and as a base for relaxing and enjoying genuine Andalucian surroundings, this hotel is second-to-none.

One of Spain`s finest Paradors is located right on the gorunds of the famous Alhambra Palace. The Parador de Granada This historic complex offers visitors the opportunity to take intimate and peaceful walks around the grounds - especially appealing when all the tourists have left for the day. In the building there are numerous works of art and exceptional pieces of furniture decorating the Cloister and the interior rooms. In the dining room or in the coolness of the summer terrace, with exceptional views of the Generalife, Andalusian gazpacho, Granada-style beans and Santa Fé pastries are served.