Granada, perhaps most famous for its fortress, theAlhambra palace, is located at the foothills of theSierra Nevada range of mountains. Although only one
hour’s drive away from the coast,Granada
is elevated well over seven-hundred meters above sea level.
With a population of
the city proper of only 240,000 and a greater area of 470,000, it is a
manageable and modestly sized place and about the 13th largest town
inSpain.
Granada is also
quite a cosmopolitan city with over 3.3% of its citizens being from abroad, a
third of them being from South American countries.
Without doubt, one of
the most popular tourist attractions in the area is theAlhambra fortress and palace grounds. The
name comes from Arabic, its original name meaning the Red Fortress and it was
the seat of the Moorish rulers of southernSpain from when it was built in the
middle of the fourteenth century. The extensive complex is built into a hilly
terrace on the edge of the city ofGranada
to the southeast
The palace boasts some of the finest of medieval Islamic architecture
blended with the influences of the Christian sixteenth centre and a number of
other additions and modifications added in later years. Within theAlhambra complex, Charles V of theHoly
Roman Empire built a palace in 1527.
By the people ofSpain themselves,Granada is also highly significant because of
its extremely famous and prestigious university and the lively nightlife and
student life which surrounds it. College students inSpain
believe thatGranada is up there withSantiago andSalamanca
in terms of offering a great student life.
