New tour will allow visitors to see parts of Granada's Alhambra palace never seen before by public

Laura Ubago

Granada

Monday, 24 June 2024, 23:19

The Alhambra in Granada will soon add a new circuit to its catalogue which will lengthen the time needed to see all the spaces on display on the Sabika hill.

This new route will include two new areas, which have never before been open to the public, and which have been restored to add them to the places that can be visited inside the Nasrid palaces and gardens.

The new route will be called El Paseo del Duque and will start at the Alhambra Palace Hotel, built by the Duke San Pedro de Galatino. From there it will go to the Carmen de los Catalanes (or Peñapartida), cross to the Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta and end at Torres Bermejas.

One of the new spaces that will be added to the future Paseo del Duque, the Carmen de los Catalanes or Porcel, by one of the families that owned the property and was portrayed by Goya. The Carmen de los Catalanes, one of the largest private properties in the Alhambra, became part of the palaces in 2002 thanks to a 1,500-million-peseta agreement, in a negotiation with the owners that lasted thirteen years-

It had been closed to the public until Friday 21 June. For nearly 20 years these gardens have been cared for, and have received researchers, but never visitors. In 2019 the doors were opened on an ad hoc basis. It is near to the Torres Bermejas and offers new views of the Torre de la Vela and a very special viewpoint looking over Granada.

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The new Alhambra circuit, according to the director, Rodrigo Ruiz-Jiménez, is expected to begin at the end of the year or early next year. It is hoped that the work will be finished by then, although it is not essential, according to the Alhambra. In Peñapartida, work is currently being carried out on the building which will eventually allow it to be opened up as a museum. The main house, the service house and the coach house will be restored. According to Ruiz-Jiménez, a part of the Alhambra museum will be installed here, specifically the Amazigh, the Berber part.

The visit, set in the romantic atmosphere of the Carmen de los Mártires and the Alhambra Forest, will offer two different views of the Torre de la Vela and the Alcazaba.

Ruiz-Jiménez pointed out that this new route will help to extend visitor stays: "We want all these visits to end up in the city and have an impact on the local economy," said the director of the Alhambra Tourist Board. If the Alhambra is not seen in one day, tourists will sleep in Granada to go back up and enjoy this new route.

The Patronato de la Alhambra received the restoration works of Torres Bermejas in April 2023, four years after they were completed. A number of setbacks prevented these works from being completely finished.

The restoration of Torres Bermejas was completed in May 2019. The intention of the Patronato de la Alhambra was to schedule guided tours to learn about the relationship of this enclave with the Alhambra itself.

This can now be done. Some measures will have to be taken, such as protecting the privacy of the neighbours whose gardens can be seen from the area. The plans to restore the Mauror hill area and the Carmen de los Catalanes will finally come to fruition.