Are you going in holiday in Spain? Have you planned a visit to the Alhambra?


Moorish ceiling at the Alhambra - Granada, Spain

Alhambra is power. Alhambra is knowledge.

There are many fortresses to visit in Spain, in Europe and in the World, but the Alhambra, in Granada has something unique and special.

You realize this immediately, as soon as you look at the Alhambra from Granada's old town narrow alleys. 

This Moorish fortress, overlooking the town, didn't protect just men and treasures. 

It protected also art and culture, things even more rare and precious.

The Alhambra contains a genial and perfect world, a word so special that it has to be protected by high, strong walls. 


Alhambra, late afternoon


It is said to be the Heaven on the Earth. 

It is said to possess God's beauty. 

It is said to possess the most beautiful birds, the freshest water, the most colourful flowers and the biggest trees. 

Once upon a time the best artists, the most skillful musicians, the most inspired poets and the most beautiful women were living at the Alhambra. 

The Alhambra is a world of perfect symmetries, of incredible prospectives and of unreal panoramas.

Watch our video of the Alhambra. 
Click on the "play button" and enlarge the screen clicking on the bottom right button


It is easy to be envious of Washington Irving, the American writer who visited the Alhambra when it wasn't yet so touristy and noisy. 

He visited the Alhambra when it was silent and it was abandoned and in the loneliness and in the peace of this place he found the inspiration to write “The legends of the Alhambra”

The Alhambra inspired Irving's romantic tales of love and of war.

The Alhambra is particularly beautiful when the sun rises. It is magic to enter through the large decorated gates or to stop in the park in front of the statue of Washington Irving and look to the huge towers of this fortress.

The Tower of Justice seems really to hide a treasure, with its large key and its open hand sculpted at the top. 

The treasure is at Nazaries Palace. It is the large fountain surrounded by twelve lions. Maybe the lions are there to guard the fantastic ceiling in the Sala de la Dos Hermanas. 


The amazing El Generalife's Palace


Each room of the Palace has a ceiling differently decorated. 

In the Templada Room on the ceiling is represented the sky. 

In the Kings Room the ceiling is decorated with wonderful geometric figures, so beautiful that you need to sit and look at them for a while to take in their beauty. 

Outside in the large garden, beautiful plants are lining along the road that connect the Nazaries Palace with the Generalife. 

The Generalife is the private house of the King at the Alhambra. 


All the beauty of the palace... unfortunatley not us beautifully kept...

There the king used to retire, away from his court, to think and take decisions. 

The Generalife, with the large pool in front, reminds immediately of the Indian Taj Mahal. 

Although much more little than the Indian wonder, the pool of the Generalife is very beautiful, particularly in spring when the yellow and violets flowers are reflecting in the water.

The Alhambra is a unique place, situated in the heart of Granada. Granada is a beautiful historic city situated in the Spanish region of Andalucia. 


Read also our page Visit Spain for more posts, tips and itineraries for your travel in Spain.