Travel Granada Spain - Diverse Sites And Sounds In A City With A Lively Past
Granada is a province in the region of Andalusia located in the South of Spain. The capital has the same name and is unique in that is is a World Heritage listed city. It has a rich and diverse heritage that can number Muslim, Islamic, Jewish and Christian ideas and architecture to define it's essence. Spanish Tourism suggests that the city is one of the nation's most popular National Historical Monuments for Spanish and international visitors. Here is an overview of what travel Granada Spain has to offer.
The city is located on the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. From many parts of the city, especially the Alhambra palace, you will see the distant, snow capped peaks of the mountain range.
Granada City – A Rich Cultural Diversity
The history of Granada details the myriad of influences that successive cultures have left on the city's architecture. The city flourished as a capital and trading center of many Moorish rulers. It was eventually conquerored by the Spanish King Ferdinand II in1492. The city became more established in Christian terms when a cathedral was built and a university was established in 1531.
Before the arrival of Spanish Christian kings, the architecture reflected the Moorish taste and styles. Even though many Moorish buildings were willfully destroyed by the future generations that were keen for Christian images and ideals to predominate, the city is still one of the few places in Europe that can give you an accurate picture of Moorish life.
With Christian rule, came Christian ideas, notably in the architecture where Gothic and Renaissance designs predominated.
This heritage of diverse influences, an eclectic mix of Muslim, Moorish, Gothic and Renaissance styles, gives the city a unique look and has great appeal to tourists looking for insights into long gone cultures.
The regions mountainous terrain has ensured to some extent that the unique patchwork quilt perspective into the cultures which have characterised Granada have remained intact. If you travel Granada Spain via train, you will get an ever-changing panorama of architectural highlights. It is a relaxing and efficient way to get to Granada by taking the high speed train from Madrid Atocha. In fact, the lively tapas bars of Granada and the serene nature of the Alhambra palace is just a few hours away by train when using the fast train from Madrid.
Your Stay In Granada, and Spain in general, will be much better if you can speak a bit of the lingo. A perfect and quick learn Spanish course is Rocket Spanish. Visit Rocket Spanish Reviewed for more details on how this course can get your fluent in Spanish in a few months. This includes review of Rocket Spanish and details on the Spanish mp3 componets of the package.