This last and greatest Moorish palace is one of Europe’s top attractions. Attracting up to 8,000 visitors a day, it’s the reason most tourists come to Granada. Nowhere else does the splendor of Moorish civilization shine so brightly.

The last Moorish stronghold in Europe is, with all due respect, really a symbol of retreat. Granada was only a regional capital for centuries. Gradually the Christian Reconquista moved south, taking Córdoba (1237) and Sevilla (1248). The Moors held Granada until 1492. As you tour their grand palace, remember that while Europe slumbered through the Dark Ages, Moorish magnificence blossomed: busy stucco, plaster “stalactites,” colors galore, scalloped windows framing Granada views, exuberant gardens, and water, water everywhere. Water — so rare and precious in most of the Islamic world — was the purest symbol of life to the Moors. The Alhambra is decorated with water: standing still, cascading, masking secret conversations, and drip-dropping playfully.
The Alhambra in Four Parts

The Alhambra — not nearly as confusing as it might seem — consists of four sights clustered together atop a hill: Charles V’s Palace (Christian Renaissance palace plopped on top of the Alhambra after the reconquest, free entry), Alcazaba (empty old fort with tower and views), Palacios Nazaries (exquisite Moorish palace, a must-see), and Generalife (fancy gardens).
1. Charles V’s Palace

It’s only natural for a conquering king to build his own palace over his foe’s palace, and that’s exactly what the Christian king Charles V did. The Palacios Nazaries wasn’t good enough for Charles, so he built this new home, which was financed by a salt-in-the-wound tax on Granada’s defeated Muslim population. With a unique circle within a square design by Pedro Machuca, a devotee of Michelangelo and Raphael, this is Spain’s most impressive Renaissance building. Stand in the circular courtyard surrounded by mottled marble columns, then climb the stairs. Charles’ palace was designed to have a dome, but it was never finished — his son, Philip II, abandoned it to build his own palace, El Escorial. Even without the dome, acoustics are perfect in the center — stand in the middle and sing your best aria. The palace doubles as one of the venues for the popular International Festival of Music and Dance. Inside are two not-so-interesting museums (both free to enter, as is the palace itself): Museo de Bellas Artes (upstairs) and the better Museo de la Alhambra, showing off some of the Alhambra’s best surviving Moorish art, along with one of the lions from Palacios Nazaries’ fountain (Tue–Sat 9:00–14:30, closed Sun–Mon, on ground floor).
2. Alcazaba

The fort — the original “red castle” or “Alhambra” — is the oldest and most ruined part of the complex, offering exercise and fine city views. What you see is from the mid-13th century, but there was probably a fort here in Roman times. Once upon a time, this tower defended a town (or medina) of 2,000 Muslims living within the Alhambra walls. From the top (looking north), find Plaza Nueva and the San Nicolás viewpoint (in the Albayzín). To the south are the Sierra Nevada mountains. Is anybody skiing today?

Think of that day in 1492 when the Christian cross and the flags of Aragon and Castile were raised on this tower, and the fleeing Moorish king Boabdil (Abu Abdullah in Arabic) looked back and wept. His mom chewed him out, saying, “Weep like a woman for what you couldn’t defend like a man.” With this defeat, over seven centuries of Muslim rule in Spain came to an end. Much later, Napoleon stationed his troops at the Alhambra, contributing substantially to its ruin when he left.

To get to Palacios Nazaries, follow the signs down and around to the palace. If you’re early, duck into the exhibit across from the palace entry. It’s in Spanish, but the models of the Alhambra upstairs are easy to appreciate.