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About Granada
Granada is one of the pearls of Spain, and a favourite of tourists from all the world. Set against the magnificent, snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountain range, the city of Granada reflects Spain’s Moorish influence like no other. The awe-inspiring Alhambra is visible from nearly everywhere in the city, dominating the skyline from its position on the hill overlooking the city. If you see only one town in Spain, make it Granada.

The city is located at the foot of the "Sierre Nevada", Spain's highest mountain-massif with great possibilities for winter-sports. The highest peak is "Mulhacén" is 3478 meters (11,000ft). On the other hand it is not far from the Mediterranean sea (the beautiful beaches of the Costa Tropical and Costa del Sol are less than a hour away) so Granada is a great place to visit in any season.

Walk through beautiful gardens, charming narrow streets filled with flowers, sit down in one of those typical taverns to have some of that famous "Trevélez" ham and local wine, and breath the centuries of history around you anywhere. There are gypsies singing "Flamenco", and don't miss a visit to their famous "Cuevas" - caves - in the mountain of the monastery of Sacromonte where some of them really live still today making magnificent artisany. Granada's popular festivals, based as well on Moorish as Christian tradition, are most attractive.

The Alhambra is a massive castle consisting of magnificent gardens, fortifications and sumptuous palaces. It began life as a fortress in the 9th century and was added to by subsequent generations of the Nasrid dynasty, the Arabic sultans who ruled the area for centuries. Truly breathtaking, the Alhambra consists of three main parts - the Alcazaba, the Casa Real and the Generalife gardens. The Alcazaba is the fortress and has stunning views of the city from its towers. The Casa Real is the royal palace and boasts beautifully proportioned rooms and courtyards and delicately carved stucco walls. The Generalife gardens feature strikingly coloured flowers and elegant cypress trees. The old Arabic quarter of the city lies on the hill opposite the Alhambra. Known as the Albayzin, it is characterized by narrow cobblestoned streets and whitewashed houses. Many Muslim ramparts, houses, gates and fountains remain and the area retains a strong Arabic feeling. Stroll around the pleasant Plaza Bib-Rambla. Once the site of bullfights and Inquisition burnings, it is now home to restaurants, flower-stalls and buskers.

To sample some local cuisine head for the Plaza Nueva, the Calle Caldereria Nueva, the Plaza Bib-Rambla and the Campo del Principe. Cenes de la Vega is possibly the Best restaurant in Granada. It has good locally-produced ingredients, magnificently cooked. The city has great seafood restaurants and wonderful tapas bars. For an unusual evening, head for the gypsy caves of Sacromonte. Set into the hills on the north side of the city, these atmospheric caves occasionally double up as nightclubs. Velazquez. Emilio Orozco, situated in the very centre of Granada has a very good wine cellar.

Granada presents a rich mixture between a lot of history and a dynamic, modern and youthful present. Granada is the third largest University City with about 60.000 students, which of course creates a vibrant nightlife. Meeting new people and chatting is an important part of the
learning process. There are plenty of terrace bars where you can have Tapas as well as discos, bars with live music etc.

“International Spanish Forum” is located in a safe and quiet area in the historic city centre, and very close to the Alhambra and Albaicin. Buses depart not far from the school every hour for the Sierra Nevada and the Mediterranean Coast.

Places not to be missed include.
• El Realejo: The former Jewish quarter. Of special interest are the gardens of Campo del Principe and the so-called "Casa de los Tiros".
• Casa de Castril: It is a pleasing Renaissance palace that houses the Archaeological Museum.
• Cathedral: A renaissance building by Diego de Siloe, with statues by Alonso Cano, who also designed the facade. In the Royal Chapel is the tomb of Ferdinand and Isabella.
• The Charterhouse: The crowing masterpiece of Spanish Baroque. Well worth seeing is the sacristy, whose intricate decoration took fifty years to complete.
• Montefrío: Lost in the rolling hills of olive groves in the north-western reaches of Granada Province, at 2,500 feet above sea level, the picturesque town of Montefrio, standing well away from the region's beaten paths, has conserved much of its traditional charm.
• Almería: The city of Almeria is located at the foot of a mountain range which is crowned by the magnificent Alcazaba, an Arab fortress built by the Calph of Cordoba, Abd-er Rahman III with three huge walled enclosures (in the second of which are remains of a mosque, converted to a chapel by the Catholic kings). In times of war, the Alcazaba could hold an army of more than 20,000 men.
• La Alpujarra: A rural area stretching from Sierra Nevada to the sea. It contains over a hundred Moorish villages, whose houses have flat roofs made of slate and grey clay.
• Sierra Nevada: The many attractions of these mountains, only 30 kilometres from Granada, include magnificent skiing facilities as well as the highest peak in the Iberian Peninsula, Mulhacen.
• The beautiful beaches of the Costa del Sol and Costa Tropical are less than an hour away
Granada - so much to see, so much to do!

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