Stunning facades along Gran Via de Colon in Granada, Spain

So weâ€™ve found a strategic underground parking in the center of Granada near Puerta Real (Royal Gate) on Calle de Recogidas, very easy to walk to the heart of Granada, Bib-Rambla where we had our afternoon tapas, but before we got there, we went for a nice stroll along Gran Via de Colon, the main street of the city, home to many stately buildings. The architectural styles of the imposing mansions are a divine synthesis of Spanish Rococo, Mudejar and Art Nouveau.

Beautiful facade details of windows and balconies of a building along Gran Via de Colon, they remind me of the buildings along ErzsÃ©bet, Budapest and the difference here is the Spaniards maintain their buildings well while the Hungarians they let theirs rot.

Stunning facades!

Me having a souvenir foto at Puerta Real (Royal Gate) just before Gran Via de Colon. I did not even know the area is the Royal Gate, just thought it was a pretty street!

Gran Via is not just lovely, it is grand, imperial and stunning. I was awed with its beautifully designed buildings, its unconventional colours and the stunning characteristic details on the windows, they are really a work of art. I can stare at them for a loooong time! Glad the Dutchman have his music on his ears, he didnâ€™t mind waiting for me at end of each block, haha. Sighâ€”it can be a sore when traveling with someone whoâ€™s suffered art and architecture overdose; they canâ€™t seem to appreciate it anymore.

Anyway, we spent sometime walking and snapping fotos and didnâ€™t realize that the Tourist Office closes early on Sunday at 15:00, and because of this we were not able to get a map which was a pity because the not-gadget-girl like me didnâ€™t know how to use the walking OVI maps on my Nokia Mini. I also donâ€™t have the patience to learn the trick so what we did was to trust our instincts, and I of course relied on asking people for directions as well.

In summary, a stroll along Gran Via is a must, if you love art and architecture.