Granada

Alhambra » The best and most famous late-medieval castle gardens in Europe stand on a fortified plateau, across a valley from the Generalife and surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountains. Before reaching Spain, the Moors had seen and occupied Roman villas. Muhammad I (1230-72) made the Alhambra his palace and much of the work was done in the reigns of Yusuf I (1333-54) and Muhammad V (1354-91). The overall plan of the plateau resembles that of Hadrian's Villa. In Arabic, Alhambra means Red Castle. Muhammad ibn-Yusuf ibn-Nash commissioned the garden. The Lion Fountain, from which the brilliant Court of the Lions takes its name, dates from the eleventh century. The Court of the Pool is ordered, beautifull..... Read more on Alhambra

Generalife Garden » The Court of the Long Pond (Patio de la Acequia) is perhaps the most photographed garden feature in Europe. It has pavillions at both ends, an arched gallery on the third side and a high wall on the fourth side. The Court, with echos of a Roman peristyle garden, or a cloister, has jets of water arching over the Long Pond. It is sweet, calm, beautiful and, apparently, timeless. But today's ground level is half a metre above the Arab level of c1250, which was temporarily uncovered in 1959. The Arab garden had a central canal and a Persian division into four parts. 'Generalife' is translated as 'garden of the architect'. Like the Generalife Palace, the gardens are much altered but remain lovely...... Read more on Generalife Garden

Carmen de los Martires » A nineteenth century country house (carmen) with a canal, grotto and walls in the Moorish style. For northern visitors, it is interesting to see an example of the Mixed Style in the south. It is planted with palms and citrus trees and draws eclectically from other periods in garden history. Read more on Carmen de los Martires