Alhambra Granada – of shattered illusions

My landscape architecture professor put the Alhambra in Granada on my travel bucket list. Lecture after lecture, examples of the elaborate and detailed gardens were shown, which were supposed to represent the physical image of paradise. And so, at the end of 2014, Granada was on my list of travel ideas for 2015. In the middle of August we finally got down to business and fixed our Andalusia road trip with a stop in Granada.

Alhambra Granada – Tourist magnet #1

Unfortunately, some resentment crept in during travel planning. Everywhere it says that the Alhambra tickets should be reserved in advance. Since we only planned a full day on site, the tickets were of course important for us. It would be pretty stupid if you went to Granada but couldn’t visit the Alhambra. Unfortunately, the official ticket provider (Ticketmaster.es) does not accept foreign credit cards as a matter of principle. Of course, this is not communicated anywhere, but if you read through the forums after umpteen unsuccessful attempts to buy tickets, you come to this conclusion. If you book through third-party providers, you won’t get pure admission tickets in most places, but guided tours at a multiple of the admission ticket. But I didn’t want to march through the Alhambra in single file. In the end, I found what I was looking for at GetYourGuide, but unfortunately the tickets without a guide were only available for the Generalife and the Alcazaba. But not for the Nasrid Palace.

Alhambra Granada – Buy Tickets

Finally, right after our arrival in Granada, we made a detour to the official sales point near Plaza Nueva. Here you can print out booked tickets and buy tickets for the next day. And although it says everywhere that you should definitely organize the tickets in advance, we got the “Alhambra General” tickets for the next day (afternoon 14:00 – 18:00) including a time slot in the Nasrid Palace (17:00). Stupid run. But the entrance fee is around 15 euros and so we were able to cope with the double ticket purchase (pure additional tickets for the Nasrid Palace are not sold).

There’s no question about it – the Alhambra is absolutely worth seeing. But I underestimated the crowds, after all, it is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Europe. It was just too crowded for me. I felt the worst in the Nasrid Palace. And so my high expectations on site were dampened badly. We started our tour at the Generalife and then hiked through the gardens to the Alcazaba. From there we enjoyed the bird’s eye view of Albaicin, feasted on homemade fig ice cream on the quiet terrace of the Parador, lined up nicely for the visit to the Nasrid Palace and smiled about how many tourists do not manage to visit the Nasrid Palace at the time allotted to them.

Generalife 

Alcazaba

Nasridenpalast

Gartenanlagen und Palace of Charles V

Well. Conclusion mixed. Secretly, I wished that visiting the Alhambra didn’t destroy the magical illusion I had when looking at pictures. My expectations were simply too high (especially in direct comparison with the palaces of Marrakech).

Albaicin – oldest district of Granada

In addition to the Alhambra, the old town of Granada is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Albaicin district is located on the hill opposite the Alhambra and stretches from the picturesque Carrera del Darro far up to the Sacromonte, from where you can see the whole city. I immediately felt at home here. The countless picturesque alleys and suddenly appearing squares with babbling fountains and orange trees are made for aimless strolling. A walk along Calle Calderia Nueva, which is lined with tea houses and oriental souvenir shops, is a must. Also very popular is sunset watching from the Mirador de San Nicolas with a magnificent view of the Alhambra in the evening light. The nightly spectacle up here resembles a folk festival. Just below the Mirador there are two bars with lounge chair views of the Alhambra. If you prefer to enjoy the special atmosphere alone, you can plan the Mirador de San Nicolas at sunrise. Early in the morning, in contrast to in the evening, you are all alone with a bit of luck. At least the crowds are guaranteed to be avoided this way. Afterwards, enjoy the first warming rays of sunshine of the day at Cafe 4 Gatos in the Cuesta de San Gregorio with a freshly squeezed orange juice. Splendid!

Other landmarks in Granada

Cathedral of Granada

Already a splendor from the outside, all the beauty of the cathedral unfolds in the round main chapel. It’s worth taking a look inside (admission: 4 euros).

Kloster San Jerónimo

The beautiful cloister and the magnificent ceiling paintings in the monastery of San Jerónimo are definitely worth a detour (admission: 4 euros).

Realejo Neighborhood

In earlier times, the Realejo district, which hugs the Alhambra hill to the southwest, was an important Jewish quarter. Today there are lively alleys with numerous restaurants, street art of “El Niño de las Pinturas”, narrow winding residential quarters and so-called “carmen” – residential houses surrounded by paradisiacal gardens. Popular and also important for the city due to its size is the complex “Carmen de los Mártires”. The garden has been recently renovated and now presents different garden styles in a spacious area.

Tapas & co – Restaurant Tips for Granada

Lio | Plaza de las Pasiegas

Actually, we were looking for another restaurant when we marched past the tapas bar Lio directly opposite the cathedral. The modern, bright interior lured us in and the look at the menu confirmed the spontaneous decision to eat here. The menu is small but nice.

Cacho & Pepe | Calle Colcha, 6

Exactly two small tables fit into the narrow Italian specialty shop Cacho & Pepe. Pasta and lasagna are available here either “to go” or freshly prepared by the shopkeeper at one of these two tables. A welcome change from the usual Spanish cuisine and the perfect light lunch before a visit to the Alhambra.

Om-Kalsum | Calle Jardines 17

You don’t have to show up here before 8:30 p.m. But as soon as it opens, the oriental tapas bar fills up quickly. Traditionally, every drink ordered is accompanied by free tapas with products from the owner’s home country – Morocco.

Granada Hotel Tip and Ticket Insider Tip

We stayed at the Hotel Casa 1800, which is located in a renovated 17th century building in the Albaicin district, in the immediate vicinity of Carrer del Darro and Plaza Nueva. All attractions in the city centre are within walking distance. If you are travelling by car, you can park for 19 euros per day in a nearby multi-storey car park. The Albaicin district is generally closed to unauthorized vehicles. A recommended place to stay for all boutique hotel lovers. Nightly rate for a double room from around 120 euros/night (we paid 274 euros for two nights on a holiday weekend).

By the way, if you want to avoid the tedious Alhambra ticket search. When booking your hotel, ask the hotel if Alhambra tickets can be added. Our hotel would have organised this for us (I would have just had to ask…).

Merken

Merken