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Granada is a town situated at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. It has a population of 280.000 and it is an ideal site for winter sports being 36 km away from the winter resort of Sierra Nevada (3.480 m).
Moreover, Granada is only 75 km far away from the famous Tropical Coast.
There are many sides to the town:
- A Moorish town: it was the last kingdom to be reconquered by the Christians from the Moors. Its Moorishness is evident throughout the town, but especially in the Alhambra Palace and Generalife, one of the most visited monuments in the world, and, on the opposite hill, the Albaicín, the ancient moorish quarter with its narrow cobbled lanes and squares and traditional houses.
- A Renaissance and modernist town: Renaissance because of the large amount of buildings in this style of architecture, particularly religious buildings, which were built at the time of the Christians arrival in the 16th century. Modernist since the beginning of the 20th century because of the modernist style borrowed from Catalonia after the creation of the Granadan sugar refining industry.
- A centre for Flamenco, centred on the district of Sacromonte, inhabited by gypsies who have become singers, dancers and guitarists. They have spread their art throughout the world.
- A university town, with one of the oldest universities in Spain (over 500 years old) and one of the biggest ones, with about 60,000 students coming from all over the world. Walking on the streets and going to the tapas' bars you will find a young environment, that gives to Granada a typically Spanish character.
- A cultural town: apart from Semana Santa (Easter) and Fiestas del Corpus, other events stand out: jazz festival (autumn), international festival of theatre (spring) and international festival of music and dance (spring). As well as these events theatrical representations, concerts and flamenco shows, etc., occur throughout the year at the Manuel de Falla cultural centre, the Palacio de Congresos and in various other centres created for these purposes.
- It is an ideal site for winter sports being 36 km away from the winter resort of Sierra Nevada whose sports facilities are easily accessible from the town. Here several international championships take place, among them the World Ski Championships in 1995. Sports lovers of any kind have ample opportunity to practice in sport complexes all over the town.
Granada lives in the present day without losing its traditions, its beauty or its Spanish and Andalusian flavour for one minute.
Special events:
Semana Santa (Easter), "Spring" Party, Día de la Cruz, Corpus Christie ( Feria de Granada), International Festival of Music and Dance (Summertime), Festival Flamenco, Flamenco Joven, Certamen Internacional De Guitarra, Fiesta de San Cecilio, Festival de Cortometraje, Jazz Festival, Zaidín quarter Festival, International Tango Festival (March), Summer inthe Corral del Carbón (theatre and Flamenco), etc.
Monuments and Places to visit
Alhambra and Generalife Gardens, Cathedral, Royal Chapel, Madraza, La Virgen de las Angustias Church, San Juan de Dios Church, Santa Ana Church, San Pedro Church,Colegiata del Salvador, Carmen de los Mártires, la Cartuja Monastery, Archeological Museum, los Pisa's House, la Zambra Flamenco Museum, Albayzin, Sacromonte and Realejo Quarters, Corral del Carbón, Huerta de San Vicente, Arts and popular customs Museum, Dar Al Horra Palace, Max Moreau House-Museum, Gómez Moreno Museum, Fine Arts Museum, Carmen-Museum Rodríguez Acosta, Manuel de Falla House-Museum, San Jerónimo Monastery, Sciences Park, Contemporary Arts Centre, Jose Guerrero Museum, Plaza Nueva, Plaza de la Trinidad, Plaza de Bib-Rambla, Plaza del Carmen (City Hold), Winter Park "Llano de la Perdiz", García Lorca Park (Huerta de San Vicente), La Alpujarra, Natural Park of "Sierra Nevada", etc.
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