Welcome & orientation
Get your bearings before entering the Alhambra.
The Alhambra is not a single palace but a walled city on a hill. Above Granada, on the Sabika ridge, it holds a fortress (Alcazaba), royal palaces (Nasrid), a Renaissance palace (Charles V) and the summer estate (Generalife). Take a moment to look at Granada below and the Sierra Nevada beyond. Then check your Nasrid Palaces time on your ticket — that time is the most important constraint of your visit.
What to notice
The layout: fortress at the west, palaces in the center, Generalife to the east.
Historical context
Founded on earlier fortifications, the Alhambra reached its splendor under the Nasrid dynasty (13th–15th centuries), the last Muslim ruling house of al-Andalus.
Practical tip
Refill your water bottle — the visit is long and the site has few shops.