Granada, Spain

The Alhambra complex narrowly escaped complete destruction in 1812 when retreating Napoleonic troops attempted to blow it up, but a Spanish soldier, José García, secretly deactivated many of the fuses.

Granada is one of the very few cities in Spain where you consistently receive a free plate of tapas with every drink you order, a deeply ingrained tradition that makes bar-hopping a culinary adventure.

Granada boasts one of the highest student populations per capita in Spain, with its prestigious University of Granada enrolling over 50,000 students annually, profoundly shaping the city's youthful and vibrant atmosphere.

You can ski in Europe's southernmost resort, Sierra Nevada, in the morning and relax on the Mediterranean coast in the afternoon, both within an hour's drive from Granada city center.

The Sacromonte neighborhood is famous for its troglodyte cave dwellings, many of which are still inhabited today and double as authentic flamenco venues, offering a unique performance experience literally carved into the hillside.

The Generalife, the summer palace and gardens of the Nasrid rulers, was designed with intricate water channels and fountains not just for beauty, but as an ancient form of air conditioning, creating a cooler microclimate even on the hottest days.

Granada was the last bastion of Moorish rule in Western Europe, only falling to the Catholic Monarchs in 1492, marking the end of the Reconquista and significantly shaping Spain's cultural and architectural identity.

The winding, narrow streets of the Albaicín, Granada's old Arab quarter, were deliberately designed not just for defense but also to create natural shade and wind channels, keeping the district significantly cooler during hot Andalusian summers.