Granada's Walled City...

Our train trip to Granada was relatively smooth, even though half of it was on a bus due to some track work.  Our cunning and likely overly-thought-out plan to get a cab, however, was perfectly executed and we were on the road to the Alhambra within minutes.

We arrived at the historical Parador Hotel in the walled city and were encouraged to embrace a “once in a lifetime “ upgrade due to a last minute cancellation.  Although we managed to negotiate the upgrade fee to a much lower and more acceptable price, we checked in to find that the room was not quite what we expected.  Note to self:  Always see the room before agreeing to an upgrade!

The historic Parador Hotel

Nonetheless, the hotel itself was an incredible experience.  The Parador Hotels in Spain are converted historical sites that are entirely controlled and maintained by the government.  This hotel was part of a palace and mosque that was built in the 1300s and was later converted into a Fransciscan Convent. Part of the building was the former chapel where Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand were buried until their remains were moved to the Royal Chapel.   

The Alhambra itself is the most famous Moorish citadel and palace in Spain.  It was primarily built in the 1100s and turned into a palace in the 1300s under Yusuf 1.  Alhambra is defined as the Red Palace - some believe this is because of the red bricks used while others think it was because the Sultan had a very red beard!

Knapsacks MUST be worn in the front!

Although many Moorish buildings were destroyed when the Christians conquered Muslim territory, it is believed that the conquerors were so in awe of these buildings that they left them untouched.  As such, the area offers one of the best-preserved architectural examples of Moorish design.

The Palace in the Alhambra has three different sections – the public area (for judicial and administrative duties), the principal residence of the King, and the Palace of the Lions, which was the private area of the Palace.  Each section had a slightly different feel to it, with the first two areas having a much stronger Muslim design influence. Each, however, was adorned with colourful decorative tiles and motifs and many beautiful arches.  In the middle of the Complex was a long pool of water, once again reinforcing the Muslim tradition of cleanliness and purity. 

Over the years, the Alhambra underwent some expansion. Charles V, for example, added several rooms as well as the Charles V Palace.  This dramatic “Circle in a Square” design took years to build and sits unfinished today.  It is considered one of the most important Renaissance style buildings in Spain but oddly seemed to actually attract the sunshine rather than protect from it and, although very attractive, didn’t seem remarkably functional.  Perhaps this is why it was never finished...

Perhaps the most lovely palace is the Summer Palace (“Generalife”), which was only a 10-minute walk away from the Alhambra.  With exquisite gardens, this Palace was "less grand" but was remarkably cool and breezy and offered stunning views of the Alhambra and below city.

Although it seems odd that they would build the summer residence so close to the official residence, we were told on several occasions that there was such in-fighting and drama about who controlled the Alhambra that rulers did not want to ever stray too far away!


We were also told that it was this in-fighting that caused their eventual demise.  Apparently, Isabella and Ferdinand had troops stationed nearby for many months, just waiting for the time when the in-fighting started to cause such distraction and hardship in the city that it was ripe for takeover.

The gates of the Alhambra are locked at night, clearing out the city and allowing the guests of the Parador to enjoy the city with very few tourists.  Getting up early to quietly watch the sunrise over this magical historical city may not have justified the hotel upgrade fee but definitely made the decision to stay at the hotel feel like a brilliant one.