Granada, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Andalucía, has many important examples of medieval architecture dating to the Moorish occupation of Spain. It’s best known for the Alhambra! It was first settled by native tribes in the prehistoric period, and was known as Ilbyr. When the Romans colonised southern Spain, they built their own city here and called it Illibris. The Arabs, invading the peninsula in the 8th century, gave it its current name of Granada. It was the last Muslim city to fall to the Christians in 1492, at the hands of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband Ferdinand of Aragon. The hill facing the Alhambra is the old Moorish casbah or “medina”, called the Albaicin. The Plaza de San Nicolas, at the highest point of the Albaicin, is famous for its magnificent view of the Moorish palace. The Sacromonte hill, which overlooks the city from the North, is famous for its cave dwellings. Just a few things to love about Granada!