The 11 most beautiful monuments to see in Andalusia

"Better than the most beautiful days" said Jules Verne by evoking his beautiful andalusian. He was right. Here are 11 of the most beautiful monuments to see in Andalusia.

The art of living and the essence of Spain draw their sources in the Andalusian traditions. Flamenco dancers, toreros, small white villages, alleys with jasmine, olive groves with a loss of sight: Andalusia’s power of attraction radiates.

Its towns and towns are inhabited by charming squares, crowned with ivory walls and blasphemous baroque facades. There you can find working fountains, a church, a bar. The praise of slowness reigns, the time suspends its flight in the freshness of a patio and around famous tapas.

In addition to its trendy lifestyle, strolling and disappointing, Andalusia undoubtedly contains the most incredible monuments in Spain. In its provinces, Cadiz to Cordoba passing by Grenada , Málaga and Seville : overview of the most beautiful architectural treasures of the region. Here are the 11 most beautiful monuments to see in Andalusia.

1. The Alhambra of Granada

Granada is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. It enjoys an exceptional geographical location with, in the background, the immaculate peaks of the Sierra Blanca . It faces the Albayzon, an ancient Arab city classified at Unesco, close to the troglodyte houses with flamenco shows and is the world capital of tapas.

If his wealth is numerous, it is undoubtedly his majestic Alhambra who makes his reputation. The Alhambra is also known as the “red castle” because of its ochre colour. It is one of the most beautiful Arab palaces in the world. Its refined decors and architectural finesse go hand in hand with the beauty of its gardens.

The visit begins with the passage of grandiose doors, pretending to enter a wonderful world. She continues from palace to palace. Their architecture is a breathtaking finish. These royal shelters have many golden rooms, and soilings azulejos , crenellated towers, sharp wooden cupolas and exquisite courses. A feast for the eyes.

2. The Cathedral Mosque of Cordoba

The beautiful and quiet city of Cordoba houses the most beautiful architectural example of the Hispano-Muslim civilization. This is without a doubt about the mosque-cathedrale , listed in UNESCO’s Universal Heritage.

Mezquita Catedral toise the maze of alleys, exquisite patios, flower balconies and palaces in the heart of Cordoba. Its architecture is unique in the world, with a beauty that words struggle to transcribe. Here, the Christian faith and the Muslim faith are intertwined and give rise to such an original and sumptuous setting.

During your visit, you go through a forest of columns and arches curved to the infinite, byzantine mosaic carpets, a spectacular baroque choir and a reversing Renaissance dome.

3. The Royal Alcazar of Seville

Real Alcazar Palace of Seville attests to an architectural diversity as anywhere else in Spain. Hence its title among the beautiful monuments to be seen in Andalusia.

This palatial ensemble was, since the twentieth century, enriched by all styles. Its core is a masterpiece of mudéjar art, built by artisans from Granada (from which a certain resemblance to the Alhambra of Granada). The ensemble offers many exceptional points of interest: the Justice Hall and the courtyard of Le Plâtre, the Palais de Pierre le Cruel, the Gothic Palace or Charles Quint lounges, numerous patios and landscaped gardens.

4. La Giralda de Seville

Seville, between hills and river banks, unfolds like a huge labyrinth of winding alleys dominated by La Giralda . This legendary tower, symbol of the ancient Almohade Mosque, gives medinas to this city as theatrical, festive and exaltant. The elegant silhouette of the Giralda consists of bricks.

The one that was a mosque was originally wearing three golden balls. They left room for bells and a mythical statue of Christianity. Today, this masterpiece of almohade art is the only one that blends simplicity and work with goldsmith. At the foot of La Giralda, behind a door as monumental as photogenic, you will discover the Patio of our Naranjos : a square shaded by the orange trees.

5. Plaza de España de Seville

Seville gathers many of the most beautiful monuments to see in Andalusia. Around its Parc de Maria Luisa you will find the immense Plaza de España in half circle of two hundred meters in diameter. The Sevillan architect Animal Gonzales built this place using the technique of azulejo . This set is cremated by a canal, itself engrossed by adorable little bridges.

Plaza de España is surrounded by long arcade galleries framed by two huge towers. Hop in the first floor gallery, decorated with azulejos and ceilings artesonados , and discover the many niches illustrating the history of the Andalusian provinces.

6. Cathedral of Seville

A church so great that those who see it take its builders as a fool. This was the ambition of architects who built the cathedral in 1401. The monumental building took the place of the original mosque and competed with all the wonders of the Christian world. It is also the third largest cathedral in the world after St. Peter of the Vatican and St. Paul de London .

Its Spanish gothic and Renaissance style has remained for hundreds of years. On the outside, the more modern portals of St. Christophe, Prince and Assumption align with the millennial set. Inside, stone, stained glass, scrupulous ornaments and wrought iron dominate. The vaults are blazing. The chapels house the coffins of illustrious individuals.

7. Alcazaba de Málaga

Working on the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Málaga can pride itself on its historical past still present in the old quarters. Very lively, Málaga has a large port, elegant walks, villas of very good taste and, of course, one of the beautiful monuments to see in Andalusia.

It is its Alcazaba, built in 1040 on a hill overlooking the city. It was thought as a fortress and a palace. It remains to date one of the largest Muslim military constructions. To visit the Alcabaza, a path climbs from the city centre, giving memorable views. The pleasant walk is surrounded by fortified doors, sometimes decorated with Roman columns and capitals.

After Christ's turn, you get to the first enclosure and gardens. Then, at a second enclosure hosting the palace, the courses and a magnificent panorama over Málaga below.

8. New Ronda bridge

Built on a rocky plateau, the city of Ronda dominates the vertiginous Tajo Gorge. Walking through its paved streets of pebbles, you will discover an architectural heritage of an unheard richness, where blend Muslim buildings, churches, palaces and even arene among the most harmonious and ancient of Spain.

Travellers come there to walk between the heart of the Ciudad , the Arab city hauled from picturesque alleys, and the merchant suburb. To connect the two? The new bridge ( Puerto Nuevo of its Spanish name): among the most beautiful monuments to be seen in Andalusia. Built between 1751 and 1793, the new bridge connecting the two slopes of the Tajo offers the walkers a breathtaking view of the Guadiaro valley.

9. Alcazaba d’Almería

Aside from the elongated, arid and desert mountain, in front of the Azurean Sea, Almería stands out from the cities aroused. It is especially known for its fortress, or Alcazaba, which dominates the city and all the bay. It enjoys a privileged location and is first built to protect the city before becoming a maure palace.

In the first enclosure, occupied by beautiful gardens, stands the tank. The wall of the watch tower, with a bell-mur, separates the first speaker from the second. The latter contains the palatial city whose historians have preserved some constructions. The third speaker had a purely defensive role. Take the time to go round and enjoy the remarkable views of Almería and its port.

On the other hand, don't miss the Chanca district, whose troglodyte houses are painted in all colours.

10. Cathedral of Cadiz

Located on the island of Leon, Cadix is in the heart of a coastline of lagoons, beaches and salt marshes. When we arrive, we pass through an agglomeration inherited from buildings and travelled through large avenues. Once. Puerta de Tierra We discover the medieval district and the baroque city.

It is precisely on horseback between the district del Populo, embodiing the main medieval city, and that of Santa Maria, a suburb of the 15th century, that is one of the beautiful monuments to see in Andalusia: Catedral de Cadiz . Its construction began in 1722, in a refined baroque style. It was completed in 1853 only. Its neoclassical façade is a set of concave and convex surfaces with two towers and small temples. The interior bathes in cyclopean dimensions and enjoys a surprising brightness.

11. Plaza Vazquez de Molina de Úbeda

At the gates of Andalusia, the province of Jaén has a strategic place since ancient times. Proof with its vestiges of the Phoenician, Greek and Carthaginian colonies as well as the architectural and cultural footprints of the five centuries of Muslim domination.

It is in this great province that the last of our eleven most beautiful monuments to see in Andalusia: Plaza Vazquez de Molina located in the city aroused by Úbeda. The latter offers a morphology and Renaissance ensembles which, like those of Baeza, were declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.

Plaza Vazquez de Molina is an ancient strong maureque square that contains architectural treasures. It overlooks the fertile valleys, the vast olive groves and the river. This place is of a unique harmony and transports anyone in another era. It is crowned with dazzling buildings: church, palace, prison and rich houses.

Its Renaissance brilliance and golden stone reach perfection on Plaza Vazquez de Molina and in the chapel of El Salvador, emblem of the city. This chapel is one of the most striking of Andalusia’s religious art in Renaissance times. This pantheon is adorned by its facade rich in statues, sculptures, flame-shaped foothills. The interior houses a nave with a golden blue vaulted vault as well as the Sacristy that mixes pagan images.