In the Palacio de Generalife, the former summer palace of the Nasrid sultans of Granada from the 13th century, one sometimes feels transported into the world of the fairy tales from the Arabian Nights. Everywhere it gurgles - water features over long pools and beautifully designed fountains framed by cypresses and Moorish colonnades unfold the magic of bygone times.
The complex consists of the Patio de la Acequia (Courtyard of the Water Canal), with a long pool of water framed by flower beds, fountains and pavilions, and the Jardín de la Sultana (Garden of the Sultana).
After a short stay, one understands the Spanish name Generalife, which is occasionally found translated as "paradise of the mystic" or "garden of the mystic".
And you can also understand why the sultans liked to stay here during the higher temperatures in summer. Even in the walls next to stairs there are water channels that provide cooling.
Those who visit these gardens, however, must also be able to share with the streams of visitors that this little paradise attracts. But if you move counter-cyclically to the guided tour groups, you catch moments of silence again and again, which are accompanied by the gentle gurgling and gurgling of the water features.
