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Casa La Sierrecilla |
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Granada, Spain - A unique gem in Europe!In a recent international competition, the Alhambra of Granada narrowly missed being selected as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World – it is, apparently, the ninth! This may well come as a relief to the people of Granada, who last year received over two and a half million visitors, drawn by the spectacular and exotic beauty of the Alhambra, home of the Nasrid dynasty, the last Muslim rulers in Spain
While a visit to the Alhambra alone would be the undeniable highlight of any trip to Spain, there is far more to see in Granada. The old Moorish quarter of the Albaicin, overlooked by the Alhambra, is a wonderfully atmospheric area of narrow whitewashed streets, (impassible for vehicles!), exotic bazaars and Moorish tea-shops. This area gives the visitor a taste of what life must have been like in Moorish Granada, eight hundred years ago! Visit the Arab baths (Hammam) if you have time. The nearby district of Sacromonte, originally home to a large population of gypsies living in cave-houses, is still a good place to see an authentic flamenco performance. Some of the original cave-houses still exist and these are the locations for improvised flamenco shows. Finally, the Cathedral of Granada is a Renaissance jewel, and is the final resting place of Ferdinand and Isabella, the Catholic Kings whose marriage united most of Spain in the fifteenth century and whose rule changed the future of Spain forever. Granada is a university town (the university is one of the oldest in Spain), which means it has a huge array of vibrant and lively bars and restaurants for the visitor to enjoy, many of which are open until the early hours of the morning. The Albaicin is the centre of much evening activity with many bars serving delicious tapas, often to the sounds of flamenco.
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