Baza, The Capital Of The Granada Highlands That You Should Visit

Baza is a beautiful municipality located in the north of the province of Granada. It is the capital of the so-called Baza region, in which several more municipalities, although less important, of the Granada highlands are framed. We travel to a town where nature, architecture and archeology come together in a very special way.

The Greater Church of the Incarnation

The temple was built on the aljama mosque and has the rank of a co-cathedral. It is part of the diocese of Guadix-Baza, next to the Cathedral of Guadix. It is in the Renaissance style and you will find it in the Plaza Mayor de Baza. It is the work of the architect Alonso de Covarrubias and the stonemason Rodrigo de Gibaja.

You will be surprised by its appearance of fortification with large buttresses, since Baza was a border area between the Kingdom of Granada and that of Castile. It dates from the 16th century, and its beautiful façade and its beautiful tower open onto the Plaza Mayor, where all the cultural events of this city take place.

Plaza Mayor and Archaeological Museum of Baza

In the square you can see some of the best examples of Renaissance civil architecture. The old jail, today the seat of the Baza City Council, and the old City Hall, where today the Archaeological Museum of Baza is located and whose building dates from the 16th century stand out.

We advise you to visit the museum, because in it you can get an idea of ​​the different civilizations that have passed through this city of Granada. In addition, you will be able to contemplate an exact replica of the Lady of Baza, whose original is in the National Archaeological Museum of Madrid.

Next to it, you will be able to admire four of the bombards that the Catholic Monarchs used during the siege of the city of Baza, which at that time belonged to the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. Next to this museum we find another Renaissance-style building: the Alhóndiga building, whose beautiful courtyard is worth visiting.

The citadel of Baza

From medieval times, its construction began in the 9th century, although it will be in the Ziri period (12th century) when it reaches its greatest splendor. It was a walled space fortified with towers. Inside there was a small medina with houses and shops and a defensive space where the troops would stay.

It would occupy part of the current city of Baza and we can still find walls and towers scattered throughout its streets and inside its houses. In the highest part of what was the citadel, the remains of the cloister of the old convent of San Francisco are preserved.

The Arab Baths

They are located next to the church of Santiago, where previously a mosque would be found to which the baths would be linked. It is one of the oldest preserved baths in Spain. They were discovered in the 19th century half-buried under a private home.

Restored in 2008, today they can be visited from Wednesday to Sunday to get an idea of ​​what the Arab baths of medieval times were like. They are located on Acequita street and the visit is free.

The Iberian-Roman city of Basti

Located just three kilometers from the city of Baza is Basti, an archaeological site located on Cerro Cepero. Its importance lies in the fact that it was the capital of Bastetania, a region that included Murcia, Almería, Granada, Jaén and Albacete.

Founded around the VIII-VII centuries BC. C, was replaced by the current Baza in the Middle Ages. For your better understanding, the CIYA (Interpretation Center of Archaeological Sites of Baza) has been opened. It is an innovative building both from the point of view of architecture and from the point of view of technology.

Sierra de Baza Natural Park

And for nature lovers, Baza also has an ideal space prepared for them. Walking through its mountains is a pleasure and Baza offers many rural accommodations to stay in order to visit both the city and the mountains.

Its orography is rugged and temperatures drop quite a bit at night, so it is recommended to be prepared for your visit. But walking through it does not disappoint anyone. Its great diversity of flora and fauna stands out and in it we can walk through valleys of Atlantic-type vegetation and through areas where the Mediterranean-type pine is the protagonist.