The Best Sights of Granada
Granada was the last Moorish kingdom to fall to the Catholic Kings in 1492. It is the place in Andalusia that has a very large number of monuments that are worth visiting, being very rich in culture, both Moorish and Christian. This is a short list of things to see.
1. The Alhambra and Generalife Gardens - This is the most visited monument in Spain (3 million visitors a year) and is unforgettable and takes your breath away. The Nasrid Palace has beautiful tile work, stucco ceilings, the famous Court of the Lions, fountains, pools and gardens. The Carlos V Palace now contains the Bellas Artes Museum of Granada. The Generalife Gardens are among the most beautiful gardens in Spain.
The Alhambra is one of the most enchanting, fascinating and beautiful places to visit. One can go many times and be completely entertained and enthralled each time. One tip to enhance enjoyment is to hire the audio guides, which give excellent additional information.
On the way to the Nasrid Palace, one has to pass under the very impressive Wine Gate, a very large structure with Moorish architecture. It has a double façade of horseshoe arches. Apparently this gate inspired Debussy to write the “La Porte du Vin” music, although Debussy never visited Spain.
The Nasrid Palace
There is a very large patio before one enters the Mexuar, which was used as the reception salon and for the administration of justice. Everywhere one can see the elaborate tile work at the bottom of the walls, followed by the elaborate stucco work on the walls and the beehive stucco ceilings. On the walls are ornamental pious prayers in Arabic script. The arches above columns have stalactites. There are windows where one can see the gardens below the palace or one can see the city of Granada. Everywhere there are beautiful vistas.
There is also the Court of the Myrtles with its huge courtyard and pool. The tower of Comares is in the background and reflects in the pool. The Court of the Lions is huge and impressive. The original lion statues will be placed in the nearby Museo de Bellas Artes in the Carlos V Palace to preserve them, because they have suffered erosion through the years, being exposed to the rain in the open patio. Copies of the lion statues will be put in this court.
Partal Gardens
An option for continuing the tour after leaving the Nasrid is to enter the Partal Gardens and continue through these gardens along the outer wall until emerging at the point where you can walk to the main entrance or the Generalife.
The most beautiful area is the large reflecting pool in front of the La Torre de las Damas - The Ladies Tower - which has beautiful arches over columns and inside, one has beautiful views of the city below. It is interesting to note that in all these gardens adjacent to the palace, there are many beautiful cats that are not scared of the crowds of people.
The Carlos V Palace
After the Nasrid Palace, if not visited earlier, one can visit the Carlos V Palace. It is a Renaissance building with a huge round patio in the middle, surrounded by two stories of galleries, ringed with columns. This building was constructed by the King Carlos V and is considered one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in Spain. Inside are the Fine Arts Museum and the Alhambra Museum, both of which are closed on Mondays.
The Alhambra Museum is extremely interesting. This museum had one stone lion from the Court of the Lions, which has already been restored. The sides of the lion are asymetrical, so when one sees it from one side, it looks different than when one sees it from the other side.
What is interesting is that it was traditionally believed that Islam forbade the representation of human and animal figures. While it is true that these depictions were not allowed in religious buildings and objects of worship, they do however appear in secular works. Figurative art in Al-Andalus flourished from the Omayyad period and the Caliphate to the Nasrid dynasty, when objects and living beings were commonly represented in private houses and palaces. Although initially decoration tended to show inanimate objects and use symbolic language, Islamic art gradually assimilated the customs and artistic styles of the conquered areas through the filter of its own particular aesthetics. Animal-shaped fountains are frequently found in Moorish palaces in Spain.
One of the most important exhibits is the Vase of the Gazelles. This vase is 1.5 meters high and is decorated with two shades of blue with a gold luster. Its was probably manufactured in 1320. Ceramics with this metallic overglaze are called "loza dorada" (golden pottery). This vase is considered to be the greatest masterpiece of medieval Islamic ceramics in Spain. One article explained that it was made in Malaga. The National Archaeological Museum in Madrid has seven other vases of this type, but none can compete with the Vase of the Gazelles in beauty and artistry. The proportions and the decoration on this large jar are simply perfect. This jar and its brothers were the largest jars ever made in the Muslim world. They were exported from Malaga to the rest of the Muslim world. They were signs of luxury and power and were used to decorate palaces.
There is an artist from Granada called Miguel Ruiz, who has been able to duplicate the Vase of the Gazelles. He has visited the Middle East and measured the temperatures of the kilns there used for ceramic firing. Then by trial and error he learned how to reproduce this vase and the other vases found in Madrid.
The Generalife Gardens
The Generalife Gardens are probably the best known gardens in Spain. They are huge and one can enjoy walking through them. At the entrance, there is a large open air patio that is sloping to a stage, where concerts and other public performances are held. Everywhere in the gardens there are little fountains that splash water. The sound of running water was very soothing to the Moors and they engineered a system to bring large amounts of water from the Darro River upstream from the city of Granada to the Alhambra fortress, so that they could withstand sieges and also use the water in the palaces and gardens. The gardens are surrounded by a forest of trees, and one can see the channels where the water runs.
The gardens are very well tended by 35 professional gardeners and one can see them at work while one wanders through the gardens. There are many rose plants and other aromatic plants and shrubs because the Moors liked to have perfumed gardens, which are a delight to the senses. Many of one's senses are engaged in these beautiful gardens, the sense of sight, smell, and hearing. What is interesting is that the gardens are divided into smaller gardens by huge green hedges, which have cutouts so that one can see adjacent gardens. The Water Stairway is a series of round patios with hand rails that bring water in small channels. The patios and the hand rails with the water go downhill.
One needs at least an hour to see all of these gardens in the Generalife. One can spend much more time here taking pictures of everything. One can really appreciate what the Moors built here. The designs are all to human scale and there is pure genius in the designs. The human scale is probably what makes the palaces so beautiful and engaging. One can imagine how life would be if one lived in these palaces.
The Stone Lions of the Alhambra Palace
The Alhambra Palace has the Fountain of the Lions, which is now being restored. There were 12 lions that surrounded the fountain and the water would spew out of the mouths of the stone lions. The lions were removed and are in restoration and are being studied. Copies will be made of the lions and placed around the fountain, while the original lions will be placed in the Alhambra Museum. Sadly in September 2011 the Lions are still housed in the special room where they can be studied closely by the public during the tour and the courtyard is undergoing total renewal of the water pipework and associated restoration work that looks set to continue for many months to come.
The scholars studying the stone lions now know that they were sculpted between 1362 and 1391 during the reign of Muhamad V. The king ordered one sculpture built by an artist, and this was probably the biggest lion, because it has the most detailing. The other lions were built by other artists, trying to copy this lion, but all of the lions are different in details from each other. They were all made of marble from Macael. They were restored in the 17th century by Alonso de Mena. It is known that the lions were polychromed before that restoration.
The fountain is an ancient symbol that arrived in Granada from pre-Christian civilizations in the East. The lion spewing water from its mouth is the sun, which gives life to everything. The 12 suns of the fountain are the 12 suns of the zodiac, the 12 months of the year.
The Alhambra Museum displays one stone lion from the Fountain of the Lions, and this lion has already been restored. The sides of the lion are asymmetrical, so when one sees it from one side, it looks different when one sees it from the other side.
What is interesting is that today many Islamic communities forbid the representation of human and animal figures. During the Muslim era in Spain, these depictions were not allowed in religious buildings, but they did appear in secular works. Figurative art in Al-Andalus flourished from the Omayyad period and the Caliphate to the Nasrid dynasty, when objects and living beings were commonly represented in private houses and palaces. Although initially decoration tended to show inanimate objects and use symbolic language, Islamic art gradually assimilated the customs and artistic styles of the conquered areas through the filter of its own particular aesthetics. Animal-shaped fountains are frequently found in Moorish palaces in Spain. This is explained in the Alhambra Museum. This also explains the very large Vase of the Gazelles in the museum, which depicts gazelles. The Alhambra Palace also has a ceiling painting of a sultan and members of his court.
2. Granada Cathedral and Royal Chapel
The Cathedral in Granada was started in 1523 and the first architect was Enrique Egas. The site was where the old mezquita was located. The architect Diego de Siloe took over the direction in 1528 and worked on the project until his death in 1563. The plan of the church is in the Gothic style, but the façade and many structures in the church are in the Renaissance style. This was the first Spanish cathedral in the Renaissance style. The Cathedral is very large, measuring 115 meters long by 67 meters wide. There is one tower that is 57 meters high. A second tower was never constructed. The Cathedral was finished in 1704. The interior has a beautiful gold and white finish and it has plenty of light.
Diego de Siloe designed the Capilla Mayor (main chapel), which has a 45m high dome, with a diameter of 22m. The main chapel is circular in shape and is a masterpiece. At the very top are stained glass windows that were designed by Siloe and painted by Jan Campen. The level below has are fourteen Flemish stained glass windows that were made in Flanders by Theodor de Holanda in 1550. Below these are paintings by Alonso Cano depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. Other paintings were done by Jose Risueño, Pedro Atanasio, and Juan de Sevilla. There are five naves in the church. The principal nave has two huge Baroque organs.
Alonso Cano designed the beautiful main facade of two stories in 1667. It has the shape of a triumphal arch and was a sign of the victory of the Christians over the Moors. There are two other entrances. One on the north facade is called the Puerta del Perdon, and was designed by Diego de Siloe in a Plateresque style. This beautiful door has sculptures by Diego de Siloe. The other door is called San Jeronimo and was also designed by Siloe and Juan de Maeda.
In the most southern chapel one can find the equestrian statue of Santiago, created by the sculptor Alonso de Mena. He is shown on a white horse and triumphant over a defeated Moor. Another interesting chapel is that of Nuestra Señora de las Angustias that was made by Jose de Bada. Another chapel is that of Nuestra Señora de la Antigua, which contains the 15th century statue of this Virgin, and that was brought to the city by the Catholic Kings. The whole chapel is gilded. The sacristy has a beautiful statue ( 50 cm high) of La Inmaculada done by Alonso Cano.
Behind the cathedral is the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel) in the Plateresque style and where Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand are buried. The entrance to this building is separate from the entrance to the Cathedral. The building was started in 1504 and finished in 1521, designed by Enrique de Egas. The chapel has the Latin cross plan with four lateral chapels. The main facade was designed by Juan Garcia de Pradas in 1527. Above the doorway are the statues of Mary with the Infant Jesus and on the sides are John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. There is also the coat of arms of the Catholic Kings. The main chapel uses the Isabelline style and the walls have the arms of the Catholic Kings, who conquered Granada.
There is a chancel that has the mausoleums of Isabella and Ferdinand, as well as those of their daughter Juana La Loca and her husband Philip the Handsome. There are marble sculptures of the four. The tombs of the Catholic Kings were made by the Florentine sculptor Domenico Fancelli in 1517. The tombs of Juana La Loca and Philip the Handsome were made by the sculptor Bartolome Ordoñez in 1520.
The main altar in the Royal Chapel is the work of Felipe de Borgoña and is one of the first altars in the Renaissance style in Spain. It is dedicated to John the Evangelist and John the Baptist. There are sculptures of both men in the altarpiece in different compartments. Beside the altar are kneeling statues of the Catholic Kings, made by Diego de Siloe. The choir is separated by a wrought iron railing gilded in gold, which is considered as one of the most beautiful in Spain. It was made by Bartolome de Jaen in 1518. This railing is decorated with the royal coat of arms, figures of saints, and medallions.
There is a very good art collection that was owned by Queen Isabella. Some of the Flemish and Italian artists represented are Boticelli, Roger van der Weyden and Memling. On display are Ferdinand’s sword and Isabella‘s crown and scepter. There is also a copy of the painting where the last Moorish king Boabdil is surrendering to Isabella.
3. Monasterio de la Cartuja
A bit outside the downtown center and sitting on a hill is the Monasterio de la Cartuja de la Asuncion, which is a Carthusian monastery and is one of the most beautiful monasteries in Spain. The building was started in 1516 on land donated by the Gran Capitan and finished after 300 years.
The facade has a 16th century Plateresque portal with the coat of arms of Spain on the top and a statue of the Virgin in a vaulted niche. The entrance leads to the Claustrillo, which is a patio with arcades supported on Doric columns. Around the patio are the main rooms of the monastery.
The Refectory is a sober room that has Gothic vaults and a cross painted by Sanchez Cotan. There are many large paintings done by Sanchez Cotan and Vicente Carducho about the lives of the Carthusian monks. Some show the martyrdom of these monks in England during the reign of Henry VIII.
There is a room called the Sancta Sanctorum, with the most impressive tabernacle done in marble, jasper, and porphyry. On the walls are statues of the saints. There are many sculptures by Cornejo, risueño, and Jose de Mora. Palomino painted the dome mural and several other paintings in the room. The dome has a painting of the Trinity, and below it is San Bruno with the world and the four evangelists are in the triangles formed by the arches. The remains of many saints are kept here and this room is one of the most beautiful religious rooms in all of Spain, a must see for the tourist. It was designed by Francisco Hurtado Izquierdo.
The church has only one nave and the architect was Cristobal Vilches, who constructed it in the first part of the 17th century. The stucco in the church converts La Cartuja into one of the master works of the Baroque. There is an iron railing that divides the space into two sections, one for the priests and the other for laymen. There are seven paintings by Pedro Atanasio Bocanegra about the life of the Virgin Mary. The High Altar has a canopy made by Hurtado Izquierdo in 1710. It is sustained by six gold columns with floral adornments. On top of the altar is a painting of the Virgin of the Assumption.
The sacristy has one nave and was constructed starting in 1727. It is the work of Luis de Arevalo and Luis Cabello, who took 37 years to complete it. The lower part of the walls are made of colored marble. The walls are covered with white stucco that has reliefs. The structure seems to change with the change of light. The altar is made of marble with many colors and has a statue of St. Bruno with a cranium in his left hand. There is a statue of the Virgin over the sculpture of St. Bruno. The figures of saints and angels adorn the cupola and the walls are decorated with paintings of the saints. The ceiling of the chapel is all white stucco, with elaborate designs, and there are gold colored medallions in the centers of the designs. The sacristy is 18th century Baroque and Napoleon’s army killed St. Bruno here.
The church is one of the best examples of the Andalusian Baroque. La Cartuja is considered the Christian answer to the Moorish Alhambra.
4. San Juan de Dios Church
On the street of San Juan de Dios, 23, is the Basilica of San Juan de Dios (St. John of God), and this church is a Baroque masterpiece. It has a beautiful façade with two towers and a statue of the saint. It is the best example of the Granada Baroque architectural style. The inside of the church is stunning because the retable behind the main altar goes all the way to the roof and is made of gold or gilded in gold. The altar is a Baroque masterpiece, filled with art. Above it is the cupola, which has paintings of great artistic value. Beside the altar are doors to the vestibule and office of the priests. The doors are also done in gold and are topped with the design of seashells.
The side altars are also gilded in gold. The old pulpit where the priests used to give their sermons is also gilded in gold. All this gold work is overwhelming in its color and beauty and artistry.
This church is the most beautiful church in Granada, and also one of the most beautiful churches in Spain. When one enters the church, one does not expect so much beauty and one is overwhelmed by sensations. St. John of God is the patron saint of Granada.
St. John of God was born in Portugal on March 8. 1495. His mother died when he was small and his father joined a monastic order. When St. John was young he worked as a farmer. He later went to Spain to work as a soldier. He later became a printer and seller of religious books. He had a religious conversion when he was listening to St. John of Avila. He settled in Granada and cared for the poor, later building a hospital for them. Later he founded a monastic order of Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God. St. John was a very impulsive man and his life was full of dramatic moments, fit to be made into a movie. He died on his 55th birthday in 1550, was canonized in 1690, and later was named the patron saint of hospitals, the sick, nurses, firefighters, alcoholics, and booksellers. The church holds the remains of his body, which has not decomposed.
5. Monastery of San Jeronimo
The little known Monastery of San Jeronimo is located on the street called Gran Capitan. The monastery was founded by the Catholic Kings in 1492, but was finished in 1565. The style is a mixture of late Gothic and early Renaissance. Diego de Siloe was one of the major architects of this monastery. It has a Renaissance tower in front. The cloisters are huge and on one side there is a gallery on the 3rd floor, which is very unusual. In the entranceway there are two important paintings, one of the Immaculate Conception by Bocanegra, and another of the Last Supper by Sevilla.
The most impressive part of the monastery is the Capilla Mayor, or main chapel. It has a retable that is 5 levels high and almost reaches the ceiling. The predominant color of the retable is gold, and it is decorated with many sculptures and reliefs. The ceiling is a barrel vault, elaborately decorated. There are two important sculptures in the chapel, one of them of the Gran Capitan and another of the Duquesa de Sessa, the wife of the Gran Capitan. The Gran Capitan was a very important general who worked for Queen Isabel, and he turned Spain into a military power for the next 150 years. He was the most important military figure until Napoleon, because he revolutionized warfare at his time. His name was Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba, living between 1453 and 1515. He was the conqueror of Granada and Naples for the Spanish crown. The monastery has his tomb in a crypt, located below the Capilla Mayor. This monastery with its chapel is one of the best in Spain.
6. Basilica de Nuestra Señora de las Angustias
On the Carrera del Genil, beside the El Corte Ingles store is the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de las Angustias. This is one of the best examples of Andalusian Baroque. The church was built between 1663 and 1671 and the architect was Juan Luis Ortega. The entrance to the church is flanked by two towers with spires. The ceiling and the sides of the church are very Baroque. The Baroque altarpiece is very beautiful and elaborate and the main retable is made of jasper and was finished in 1760 and is in the Churrigueresque style. There is a magnificent dome on top of the altar. Nuestra Señora de las Angustias is the patron saint of Granada and the church has many sculptures by famous artists that include Risueño, Jose de Mora, and Pablo de Rojas. In the last Sunday in September, there is a procession dedicated to the Virgin. A few days before they cover the façade of the church with flowers. This church is a favorite for weddings of the wealthy middle classes.
7. Church of Santa Ana
The Church of Santa Ana is a small church beside Plaza Nueva that has beautiful architecture. This church was designed by Diego de Siloe in the 16th century. The style is Renaissance, while the façade is Plateresque. Inside the church there are five chapels on each side and the cofferred ceilings are Mudejar.
8. The Albaicin Quarter
The Albaicin Quarter is the old Moorish quarter across the River Darro from the Alhambra. When the Moors controlled Granada, this area of the city was the most densely populated. The streets are narrow and many of them do not have sidewalks. The houses are not very high and they are very close to each other. The area is a labyrinth, where one can get easily lost. The quarter holds the Archaeological Museum, many churches, and some palaces. There is a little park and lookout point at the end called the Paseo de los Tristes. One gets the sensation that one is in a different world, a world from the past.
9. Hospital Real
The Hospital Real is now the seat of the University of Granada and is beside the Fuente del Triunfo Gardens. This is a huge palace founded by the Catholic Kings in 1504 and built by the architect Juan de Egas. It was used as a hospital to take care of the troops injured during the siege of Granada. In 1536 it was also used as a place to keep mad people. The style of the building is Gothic Plateresque. There are two large and very well kept interior patios and outside there are gardens with statues. The building holds cultural events frequently.
10. The Alcaiceria
The Alcaiceria is the old Moorish silk market, which was the main market where the richest goods were bought and sold. Alcaiceria means the "house of Caesar", because the Emperor Justinian granted the Moors permission to make and sell silks. In the past this section of the city was much bigger and was an independent town that was closed at night and had its own mosque and customs house. In 1843 it was destroyed by a fire and was rebuilt to the present state. Today the Alcaiceria has many small stores that sell souvenirs and other goods that are quite inexpensive and it is the best place in Granada to find bargains. Many of these stores are owned by Moroccans and they have the best bargains, goods from all over the world. The Alcaiceria is located by the Cathedral.
11. Museo Casa de los Tiros
The Museo Casa de los Tiros is situated in a historic palace built in 1530. The museum is a popular arts museum, as well as a history museum. The museum contains many paintings and the most impressive part of the museum is the staircase to the upper floor. Along the walls of this staircase are portraits of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand, their daughter Juana la Loca, and many other royal descendants.
12. Museo Arqueologico de Granada
The Archaeological Museum is located in the Albaicin district and has remains from all the ages, since the Paleolithic. It is located in a palace (Casa de Castril) built in 1539 and has Plateresque decorations on its façade. It most interesting exhibit is a beautiful bronze Roman statue of a man in a toga. The title of this work of art is “Togado de Periate”. There is also a very interesting gallery of the Moorish times.
13. The Fuente del Triunfo Gardens
There is a park adjacent to the Avenida de la Constitucion called the Fuente del Triunfo. The park goes up the hill and near the end of the park is a huge column with the statue of the Virgin on top. Behind this is a wall of impressive fountains, that run only in the afternoons. The fountains are lit up at night.
14. Sacramonte
The Sacramonte is a large district that is populated by Gypsies, many of them living in caves that have been fixed like homes. This area offers flamenco for tourists, in places with atmosphere. The area also contains the Abbey of Sacramonte, which was built in the 17th century. The Abbey has a museum that has paintings, sculptures, and Arabic manuscripts.
15. Parque de las Ciencias (Science Park)
The Parque de las Ciencias is a new open-air museum in Granada. There are over 30,000 square meters of outdoor space that contain the different scientific experiences. The main building is modern and is divided into two separate areas, joined by a large glass hall. The rooms in this building hold the permanent exhibitions: Biosphere, Eureka, Perception and Explore. Outside, the Marie Curie Plaza is surrounded by the other buildings: the Observation Tower, the Astronomy Garden, the Tropical Butterfly House, the Botanical Walks, the Plant Labyrinth or the "Almazara" (oil mill). One of the most interesting exhibits is the Journey Through the Human Body, which explains many functions of the body. Each year, in the Temporary Exhibition Pavilion, one can visit new exhibitions on science and technology. All these areas are signposted. The park is educational and very entertaining for all ages.
16. Museo Caja Granada Memoria de Andalucia
This museum is located at Avenida de la Ciencia, 2, and is a new museum that opened in 2009 and is probably the only museum in Andalusia that is dedicated to understand Andalusia only. The museum is at the bottom of a tall modern building. There are four salons. One is dedicated to geographical diversity. A second salon is about land and cities. The third salon is about modes of life. The last salon is about art and culture. There are large curved walls that have the timelines of the most important events in Andalusian history, which make the history easy to understand. There are interactive exhibits about geography and history, containing hundreds of short videos that explain everything. One can learn much about every city in Andalusia. This museum is fantastic and one can spend the whole day there because the exhibits are so very interesting and educational. The exhibits and videos are in Spanish and English.
17. The Sacromonte Abbey
The Sacromonte Abbey is located at Camino del Sacro Monte, s/n. The word Sacromonte means sacred mountain. It is located further from downtown than the Albayzin quarter. The abbey is huge and much of it is in disrepair. In the 16th century, caves were found in the Sacromonte and people thought that they had found the remains of St. Cecilio (the patron saint of Granada) and other Christian martyrs. St. Cecilio was the first bishop of Granada during Roman times, sent by St. Peter and St. Paul to evangelize Spain. He was killed by the Romans and became one of the first martyrs. In 1610 the archbishop of Granada Pedro de Castro Cabeza de Vaca y Quiñones built the abbey to honor these saints. Construction continued through the 17th and 19th centuries. A separate building became a school of theology, and later of law. The abbey has books made of lead that were written in Arabic and treated themes of Christianity and the Moslem religion. There is a museum that has valuable works of art, most of them from the Sevillian school of art, such as a sculpture of Christ made by Jose Risueño in the 17th century. There is a collection of rare manuscripts in Arabic, Greek, and Spanish. One can also see the sacred caves where the remains of the martyrs were found. There is a beautiful patio with arcades and also a dazzling chapel filled with artwork.
In the chapel one can find a six sided star that is placed in a circle. This is painted on the ceilings and decorates all the side chapels and the pulpit. One may think it is the Star of David, but it is not. It seems that during Roman times, this was a symbol of knowledge and was used by many cultures, not only the Jewish culture. So when the abbey was built, the archbishop decided to use this design to decorate the whole building. The feast day of St. Cecilio is the first Sunday in February.
18. Max Moreau Carmen Museum
The Max Moreau Carmen Museum is located at Camino Nuevo de San Nicolas, 12. Max Moreau was a realist Belgian painter who lived from 1902 to 1992. When he died he left his house in the Albayzin to the City of Granada, and his house and workshop are where his museum is now located. The word "carmen" in Granada means a house and garden. There is a pretty garden by the house and atop the workshop building there is a lookout where one can see the Alhambra, since the house sits on a high part of the Albayzin. Among the people Moreau painted, there is a very good portrait of Anthony Quinn.
19. Mirador San Nicolas
The Mirador San Nicolas is located on one of the highest points of the Albayzin at the Camino Nuevo de San Nicolas. There is a spectacular view of the Alhambra from this point. The plaza is usually filled with people who are just sitting down there or lying down, looking at the Alhambra. . All the streets of the Albayzin are made of river stones, and it is very difficult to walk on them, and many places have no sidewalks. To get to the Mirador, one can take a bus from the Plaza Nueva.
