Bosque de Alhambra

Forest in Granada

The Bosque de Alhambra or Forest of Alhambra is a forest that encircles the Alhambra Complex, in Granada, Spain. This beautiful forest was planted in the 17th century and its boundaries is generally set by the wall surrounding the complex. It starts are the at the Torre de los Picos on the north bank of the river Darro, and continues to the Torres Bermejas in the northern and western area around the Moorish fortress.

The Alhambra Wood has a road and two side trails;

The right trail leads to the Torres Bermejas or Crimson Towers, the Manuel de Falla Auditorium and the Villa of the Martyrs.
The left trail Cuesta Empedrada, was once called the “Paved Slope”, has where it starts a marble Cross, built in 1641, and leads to the south side of the Alhambra wall and the Puerta de la Justicia.
The road in the middle, the Cuesta de Gomérez, passes
- The Puerta de Birrambla and
- Monument to Washington Irving.
- Monument to the writer Ángel Ganivet (1865–1898 )
- There are a couple of oddly named squares with fountains in the middle of them:
  - Fuente los tres Picos or Three Peaks Fountain,
  - Fuentes del Pimiento or Fountain of the Pepper, and
  - Fuente del Tomate or Fountain of the Tomato.

What is the Bosque de Alhambra like?

Its is a colorful and fragrant woodland with deciduous trees, poplars, buckeyes, elderberry, nettle trees, plane trees, acacias, hazel, Aleppo pine, and maple. A few poplars are dating from early Christian times. The park is littered with an abundance of water flowing, waterfalls and canals.

In summer the high and slender trees obscuring the sun and give these places pleasant shade and coolness. In autumn the trails are covered with leaves, branches and bark sheets and you will discover a rich plant community of great historical interest. Over 300 plant species have been discovered, there poplar mushrooms, wicker, Chinese bonnets, judas ears and mesenteric among others, most are edible, although they have a minimum gastronomic value in general.

What to see in the Bosque de Alhambra

Puerta de Birrambla: Among the trees, almost hidden by the foliage of vegetation you will see the remains of the gate Bib-Rambla, built in the eleventh or twelfth century. Original it was situated in the center near the square with the same name.
Puerta de las Granadas: The Puerta de las Granadas or Gate of the Pomegrantes is the main entrance to the forest. The Gate is a 1536 stone archway, which is adorned with the imperial shield of Charles V and 3 large pomegranates.
: The Pilar de Carlos V or Fountain of Charles the V is an elaborate fountain next to the Puerta de la Justica of the Alhambra.
Torres Bermejas: The Torres Bermejas or Crimson Towers is a military fortress set on El Mauror Hill overlooking the Bosque de Alhambra.

The Bosque de Alhambra appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Granada!

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