A GRAND OLD CITY

Add an extra dimension to your winter sports experience with these other (great value and often free) Granada sites

NO trip to the Sierra Nevada is complete without paying homage to Granada’s most iconic landmark, the stunning Alhambra Palace. This magical 13th century Ar abic building dominates the city from its hill top eyrie.

After a morn ing tour of the sumptuous monument and its gar dens, wander the streets of the Albaicin, the pedestrianised for mer Moorish quarter.

The streets are lined with teterias serving au thentic mint tea and the Ara bic pastries while the shops are akin to a Moroccan souk, with exotic clothing and beautifully-crafted knickknacks.

For art lovers, the Museum of Fine Arts sits in the heart of the Charles V palace with over 2,000 incredible pieces of classic work.

Elsewhere the Sacromonte neighbourhood is where the original gypsies first settled and lived in caves and you can visit the Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte.

Another of Granada’s

The Museum of Fine Arts sits in the heart of the Charles V palace

Festive Fun

THE resort is one of the most festive places to be in Spain, and the Spaniards know it, as they descend in their droves for Christmas and New Year. ‘Nochebuena’ or Christmas eve, when the Spaniards celebrate the festive season with a huge family meal and lashings of turron, is usually a sell out. Meanwhile ‘nochevieja’, or New Year’s Eve, where massive screens show the countdown in Madrid’s iconic Puerta del Sol, with grapes galore, is a riot.

For the eve of the Reyes on Jan 5 the three kings duly arrive on skis. Kids will love it.

ICONIC: Alhambra from the Albaicin, while (below) one of its internal patios and the cathedral most important historic attractions is the Cathedral, an imposing structure of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture that took over 180 years to con -

It remains unfinished as two towers were originally planned for the facade, only one of which has been half-built.

As Granada is Andalucia’s main university town, cultural events are high on the agenda. And, above all, it won’t bust your bank balance either. Travel website Omio has branded the city, the cheapest holiday destination in Europe for its range of free activities and cheap sightseeing tours.

The Alhambra is free to enter, although you do have to pay to see its most famous Nasrid palaces and Generalife. The city has dozens of free activities –112 to be exact. That includes 10 free museums.

An evening out in the city must include a tapas crawl taking in a few of the cool restaurants including Gastrobar La Botilleria and its next door hip joint Rosario Varela.