GRANADA
Granada, the last stop on our 2023 tour through Spain, is the home to one of Spain’s most popular tourist attractions; the Alhambra.
Granada also has a host of ornate religious buildings from monasteries to a cathedral.
Here is a list of places we visited, and took photos of, in Granada. (Click on the place you would like to see to be taken to our photos and commentary.)
The Alhambra
The Alhambra is a sprawling complex set atop a hill overlooking the town of Granada. With over 2 million annual visitors it is not unusual to have more than 7000 visitors each day in the peak summer tourist season.
Most of those visitors want to visit the more confined areas of Generalife the spectacular Nasrid Palaces; so it can be crowded in these areas. We visited the Alhambra before the peak tourist season and it was pretty crowded then, so I would hate to imagine what it would be like in the middle of the European summer.
The Nasrid (Nazarene) palaces were impressive and the most popular attraction on site, with bookings essential to entry. If you plan on going, book well in advance and book early. Even though we had an early booking, we discovered that bus loads of tour groups were being admitted via a different entrance – so what seemed to be a small crowd based on the public queue with general tickets ended up being a free-for-all melee inside the palaces.
The Nasrid palaces are a feast for the eyes and without doubt the highlight of the Alhambra complex. It is also worthwhile finding any of the vantage points to get a view out from this fortified set of palaces over the town of Granada.
I would recommend a visit as, overall, this expansive complex contains stunning examples of Moorish architecture and decoration.
Each of the sections below has photos from different parts of the Alhambra complex.
Here are some views of the complex from different vantage points.
Carlos (Charles) V Palace
This Palace, commissioned by Carlos V was commenced in 1527 and was only finished after a restoration project commenced in 1923 .
This Romanesque style palace in the middle of the Muslim built Alhambra complex was designed to be a statement of the triumph of Christianity over Islam.
The building has never been a home to a monarch and today, houses the Alhambra Museum on its ground floor and the Fine Arts Museum of Granada on its upper floor.
Nasrid Palaces - Court of Justice
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Wall detail
One of the impressive sights in the Nazrid (Nazarene) Palaces was the intricate wall decorations.
From three dimensional moldings to intricately carved Islamic script, the work on dispay is a testament to the skill and care of the artisans who created these spectacular monuments.
Look Up
The ceilings of the Nazrid Palaces were also quite spectacular. Unfortunately the true beauty of the intricate 3D designs were tricky to capture.
As well as stunning 3D plaster work there was also a number of skillfully crafted wood panelled ceilings.
Often the wall carvings extended to curtain-like structures atop the many colums surrounding patios and courtyards.
Other sights at the Alhambra
We could bore you with about a bajillion more photos we took during our day wandering around the Alhambra. We won’t do that. Instead we’ll leave you with these few.
Basilica de San Juan de Dios
The Basilica de San Juan de Dios or Basilica of St John of God is dedicated to the patron saint of hospitals and the sick, San Juan de Dios. It is an 18th-century church featuring Baroque-era details, frescoes and a decorated dome.
The ornate decoration of the main altar was breathtaking and the golden decor of the Dressing room (up some stairs behind the altar) was almost overpowering in its sumptuousness.
All through the buidling there were intricately painted ceilings and the frescoed dome above the dressing room is a stunning ornament to an amazingly decorative space.
Catedral de Granada
That’s not a spelling error. This is the Spanish nomenclature. In english it would be – Cathedral of Granada, or more simply;Granada Cathedral.
From a rather unassuming facade, you step inside an ornatebuilding with glorious ceilings, impressive decorations and a fascinating surpise.
Tall things
The doors pictured below were at least 4 metres tall and most imposing. The intricately carved Corinthian style decoration of the capitals atop the columns were quite impressive and a detail worth noting.
A little ancient history
To our surpise and delight there was a display of ancient choral song books, beautifully illuminated in the style of the day. Having sung in choirs in the past, we include a selection of the impressive works on display. And yes, the gold highlights on the pages is real.
The things you see when you look up
The ceilings in the Granada Cathedral did not let us down. Click on the ‘+’ below to see each of the images.
Ceiling View 1
Ceiling View 2
Ceiling View 3
Organs and altars
The main organ at the cathedral is ornate, to say the least. Unfortunately we didn’t hear it being played, so can only hope that it sounds as good as it looks. The intricately covered wooden alter of one of the side chapels was also noteworthy..
A beautiful place to worship
Each of the following images is a slightly different perspective of the same beautiful main chapel of the Cathedral.
Monasterio "La Cartuja"
The Cartuja Monastery, also known as the Monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. The name is shortened to “la Cartuja” as it is a monatery for Carthusian monks. Its plain exterior hides another fine example of Spanish Baroque architecture.
Stunning doors and intricate floors
There is a reason we love visting religious archticture; there is certain amount of inspriation and beauty on view as folk across the ages demonstrate their reverence to their chosen deity through painstaking detail and intricate onamentation.
Simple Spanish Cloister
In true Spanish style, orange trees, rose bushes and simple border hedges, this cloister is a great example of a relaxing contemplative spaces that the monks could retire to for prayer and meditation.
More amazing ceilings
Another display of ornate ceilings are on display at this monastery. From gorgeous frescoes to intricate moldings to ornate domes, this monasteryhad them all.
Parque Federico Garcia Lorca
This beautiful rose garden was less than a kilometre from our hotel. For the last week of our holiday, we would spend a good hour or two a day sitting amongst the glorious blooms and breathing in the heady aroma of roses in full flower. There were a few Irises for floral variety with 99% of the garden (or so it seemed) dedicated to roses. The images below are just a sample of the magnificent blooms on display.
The garden provided a peaceful, relaxing environment that helped us unwind at the end of long holiday.
Real Monasterio De San Jeronimo
This rather plain looking building is the first Christian monastery built in Granada after the Catholic Monarchs reconquered Spain and expelled the Moorish rulers. The totally plain exterior hides a massively decorated interior and (in true Spanish style) a most impressive main altar.
