Alhambra Andalusia, fairytale Arab and Andalusian mix
- birgitelisabethhay
- 23 mrt
- 5 minuten om te lezen
UNESCO World Heritage Site ➡️ book tickets ➡️ Alhambra, Generalife and Albaicín
Just a 2-hour drive from Elizabeth's Residence is the ancient city of Alhambra, UNESCO World Heritage Site of palaces, the Generalife and the ancient Moorish city of Albaicín.
Alhambra Andalusia
Alhambra is all-day enjoyment from morning to night: immerse yourself in beautiful gardens, ancient architecture and the life of sultans and princesses in the 13th century.
Day trip to Alhambra 🏰 210 km or 1h50' drive from Elizabeth's Residence in Estepona
🌺Read here all about Alhambra, Generalife and Albaicín in Granada: experience your day trip of a lifetime🌴
Practical
Book your tickets in advance
Before you visit the site you must book your tickets. It is best to do this several weeks (preferably months) in advance. The site is a protected world heritage site, which means that the authorities want to know in advance who is registering as a visitor and how many people are allowed in each day. Be sure to book the official ticket site for your ticket here:
Parking
You can park your car in the provided spacious parking lots about 200 meters from the entrance.
Official guides
Beware! Like everywhere else, you have people walking around pretending to be guides. If you want to hire a guide, do it just before the entrance gate, where they check your entrance tickets. Official guides can be recognized by the “badge” they wear around their neck and can be found at the entrance gate at the ticket control (and therefore not in the parking lot or on the way from the parking lot to the entrance gate).
Duration
If you want to visit the palaces, the Generalife and Albaicín you are in for a whole day.
Alhambra map
Check out the map of the city of Alhambra and start planning your city trip.
Don't forget
good walking shoes
small bottle of water
sun protection
carrying backpacks are not allowed (you may bring them inside but not carry them on your back as this may damage the walls)
The day trip to Alhambra is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, even the drive there from Estepona is magical as you drive on the motorway for an hour among the colourful blossoms (from July to October).
Alhambra Location Unesco Spain
The iconic city of Alhambra is located on a hilly plateau in Granada province, less than 3 km from the city of Granada in southern Spain. There is much to see not only inside the walls of Alhambra but also around the city. The structures in the middle of nature and the views of the Sierra Nevada are definitely worth a visit.
The entire Alhambra site is 140,000 square metres and consists of two parts: an upper part (where it is 10 degrees colder in summer) and a lower part. In the upper part you visit Generalife while the palaces are in the lower part.
Alhambra History
The history of Alhambra dates back to 711 AD, when the city of Granada was taken by the Moorish ruler Tariq ibn Ziyad. It was under Moorish rule that construction of the Alhambra began with a rather modest fortress to defend the city from outside attacks.
"Alhambra is a CITY, not a palace, as many claim!" - Those are the first words of our guide, when we enter the Alhambra site with her.
Generalife
In this higher part, you can visit the herb- and rose gardens with fountains and beautiful green squares.
The oasis is immense in this rugged and very hot landscape. Because of climate change and water scarcity, government has decided to gradually replace the rose gardens with other crops that require less water.
Nasrid palaces
In the lower-lying part of Alhambra, you'll visit the Nasrid palaces and the Partal Palace. The Partal Palace is a kind of ‘part’ palace from the 14th century, built by the Moorish ruler Nasrid Muhammed III and the oldest original preserved building in the Alhambra.
During my visit, I fall from one surprise into another: "The interior design of the Nasrid palaces displays an exclusive Islamic blend with Spanish Renaissance architecture."
My breath catches in my throat as our guide reads out some of the many 10000 poems and verses, inscribed in calligraphic writing on the walls in the 13th century. "Moreover, we know of no other garden, more pleasant in its freshness, more fragrant in its surroundings and sweeter in the gathering of its fruits."
The Palace of Charles the Fifth
Then we arrive at the palace of Charles the Fifth, born in Ghent (Belgium ❤️) in 1500, ‘lord of the Netherlands 💞’ and king of Spain and all the Spanish territories in Central and South America. At 19 years of age, he also became emperor of the German Empire.
When Emperor Charles V married Isabella of Portugal in 1526, they spent their honeymoon in the Nasrid palaces of the Alhambra. During his stay, he got the idea to settle here and commissioned a palace. You immediately notice how different the scale, style and materials are from those of the rather refined style of the Nasrid palaces: Charles V clearly intended to go down in history much larger and more majestic with this lavish two-storey Renaissance-style building. Construction of his palace began in 1527 but unfortunately never got finished due to financial problems.
Albaicín
Right in front of Alhambra is the old Moorish quarter of El Albaicín, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Alhambra and El Albaicín are connected by several bridges over the Darro River.
If you have visited Alhambra and Generalife, be sure to stroll to El Albaicín: the labyrinth of narrow streets, squares, gardens with fountains, Moorish baths (El Bañuelo) and medieval churches are a feast for the eyes.
El Albaicín also has several water reservoirs you can drink from. You will find a water reservoir (aljibe) near the church Iglesia San Nicolás and at the Plaza del San Salvadaor.
Other sights in Albaicín worth visiting are the 16th-century Renaissance-style palace Casa de Castril and the only remaining Dar al-Horra palace.
🌺This day trip from Elizabeth's Residence is an experience to remember: memories to cherish and take home forever.
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