Page 19 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

DISC OVERING SP AIN  17

Madrid and Moorish Mezquita (pp486–7), a master­
Spain: Granada, piece of Islamic art, where you
Córdoba and Seville can easily spend a couple of
hours. Then head into the
• Duration 10 days. narrow lanes of the former
• Airports Arrive in Madrid’s Jewish Quarter, and visit the
Barajas Airport, depart from enchanting Palacio de Viana,
Granada Airport. an aristocratic mansion set
around several elegant court­
• Transport High­speed AVE
yards. Enjoy supper on one of
train from Madrid to Seville; Córdoba’s enchanting squares.
hire car for the rest of the trip.
• Booking Ahead Granada: Day 7: Córdoba
entry tickets to Alhambra. Begin your day with breakfast
on the Plaza de La Corredera, a
handsome 17th­century square
Days 1 and 2: Madrid that hosts a daily market. Visit
See the 2 Days in Madrid itinerary the Alcázar de los Reyes Terracotta-and-white-striped arches top
on p12. Cristianos and its blissful countless columns inside the Mezquita
gardens (p484). Choose one of
Days 3 and 4: Seville Córdoba’s many museums to Moorish fortress. Spend the
Take the high­speed AVE train visit in the afternoon, or simply night in either Priego de
from Atocha station to Seville. explore the maze of streets, Córdoba or Montefrío.
Experience the best of the city including the Callejón de las
with the 2 Days in Seville itinerary Flores, famous for its beautiful Day 9: Granada
on p13. flowers. Visit the Plaza de Press on to Granada (pp492–8),
Tendillas for dinner options. just a short drive from
Day 5: Carmona and Écija Montefrío. The spirit of old
Hire a car for the rest of your Day 8: Montilla to Montefrío Al Andalus is strongest here,
journey. Drive east of Seville, Drive through beautiful thanks to the presence of the
stopping first at Carmona Andalucían countryside to hauntingly beautiful Alhambra
(p482), an aristocratic town Granada, taking in several Palace, which crowns the city.
tucked behind Moorish city attractive villages. First of these An old Moorish neighbourhood
walls. Continue east to Écija is Montilla (p488), a celebrated spills down the hill opposite the
(p483), famous for extreme wine town, followed by Aguilar Alhambra, its narrow lanes lined
heat and a distinctive skyline de la Frontera, wrapped around with craftshops, bathhouses
punctured by the silhouettes an octagonal square. Continue and cafés. Stop for lunch here,
of 11 Baroque church spires. through hills and orchards to then head up to explore the
Spend a night here. Priego de Córdoba (p488), vast Alhambra palace and
packed with breathtaking fortress complex (pp496–7)
Day 6: Córdoba Baroque architecture, and then and the Generalife gardens
Córdoba (pp484–7) is less than to Montefrío (pp488–9), a (p498), where the Nasrid rulers
an hour’s drive east of Écija. At tumble of chalk­white buildings made their attempt to recreate
its heart is the vast 8th­century crowned by the remnants of a paradise on earth. Top off the
day with a tapas bar crawl –
a must in Granada.
Day 10: Granada
Visit the splendid Gothic
cathedral (p492), constructed by
order of the Catholic Monarchs
(Ferdinand and Isabella) after
the fall of Granada in 1492. They
also ordered the construction of
the nearby Capilla Real (p492),
which contains their elaborate
tombs and those of their
daughter and her husband. Take
a look at the cultural centre in
the 16th­century Corral del
Carbón (p492), which displays
local crafts. In the evening, take
in a flamenco show in one of
Portico and pool of the Partal, part of the Alhambra palace complex the caves in Sacromonte (p495).

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