monasterio cartuja

Just a handful of visitors, but what a staggering display of wealth in the sacristy with gilded retablos and marble altar.

It is true that the walk to Monasterio Cartuja is some way from, say, Plaza Nueva. But if you have a little time in Granada I do believe it is worth seeing. So much is made of the Alhambra and the 'Albaicin' neighbourhood, or the Cathedral (all with absolute reason), so maybe the monastery gets a little overlooked.For myself, coming from Australia, the insight I received (from the artworks in the refectory by Fray Juan Sanchez Cotan and the Baroque design and decoration) into the way the Spanish monks responded and were treated during the persecution by the British, was very moving. I felt hushed in the place. And the Baroque interior, when I first saw it, though not to my personal taste did raise an involuntary gasp.....If your Spanish is not good do a little bit of research before you come so it makes a little more sense.......

Taking a taxi out and waiting a fair while for a bus back, I'm not convinced this was worth the effort. Yes, it's got some fancy decoration, but the guide leaflet is only in Spanish (and mine's not good enough to understand all the technical detail) and you're not allowed to take photographs. I only went because it was included in the Granada Card.

you expect from a strict monk order some sobrity .This is what you see in their refectory and their chapter room.But the church and even more the sacristy is just the oposite of sobrity.This is pure abondance of breathtaking luxery.very nice to see for a short moment but a must see , even if away from the center of the city

The monastery is about a 30 minute walk from the Cathedral in the university district. The monastery is very plain from the outside with pleasant gardens surrounding the building that are not accessible to the public. When inside the pleasant cloisters give access to a number of small chapels but the highlight is the main chapel and chapter house which many guidebooks describe as over the top; this is an understatement! the main altar is in red and gold and the chapter house is ornate plaster. For a simple monastic order the decoration makes the Vatican look plain. Well worth a visit

This site is a bit out of the way but well worth the trip.  There are two ways to get there.  First is by taxi which will be about 6 Euros.  The second is via the N7 bus which departs from the west end of the Grand Via and costs 1.2 Euros per person.  It is only when you get to the gate that you realize how large this building really is.  The website is woeful in its description.  Once you get your ticket, go through the rooms in a counter clockwise direction.  The first three rooms are worth a couple of minutes a piece.  These are essentially art galleries for pieces that are sort of above average. Then the last entrance will take you to the chapel and sacristy.   The alter is spectacular, but the side rooms are nothing but amazing.  You can see why it is said that the Pope only got the Sisteen Chapel while the monks got this chapel.  We spent the best part of an hour in the two side chapel.  There were a couple of tour groups composed of forty of the closest friends who got about 5 minutes in the chapel.  Do not do this as part of a tour group.  You will leave unsatiated.

I went here without a guide and for me, it was not really worth the trouble. The monastery looked nice, but it has never been finished and it shows. There is one finished room, which looks amazing. The other rooms were a disappointment to me. Not much to be seen, we were out of the monastery within half an hour.

We thought we'd go here as it was included in our Granada Card. So we took the Tourist Bus that goes around the town - unfortunately it goes in one direction and takes ages to get anywhere. So we decided to visit the science park first (excellent) and then go on to the monastery. Unfortunately the tourist bus only goes there between 4 and 5pm (not that anyone told us). Cutting a long story short, we took a taxi. The monastery itself doesn't allow photos which is a shame as it has some wonderful paintings (mostly of Carthusian monks being martyred by Henry VIII) and some baroque features such as the tabernacle and sacristy. Definitely worth visiting if you can work out how to get there.

very intesting lots of history.the price is cheap,the guides are a disaster only speak spainish no idea how to explane peoples questions.

if you have a car and you have nothing better to do in granada after seeing all the other sights, then visit this. i was expecting more, i was hoping to see gardens and be able to view it from all sides. no such thing, 4€ entry allows to see about 8 indoor areas/rooms... a depressing feel to it... nothing worth writing about. leave it for your last stop.

We visited the monastery mainly to go for a walk out of the main tourist part of town. The trip was worth it and is a fairly easy walk up from Plaza Nueva. The facade of the building is impressive as are the paintings contained within it. Downside is that the brochure is only available in Spanish, as are the descriptions of the paintings so we kept without much knowledge of the monastery's history. Still, it was good to get out of the centre of town.

The grandeur of the chapels, the master artworks of Sanchez Copán and others, and the detailed ornamentation of gold, silver and marble make this stop essential in Granada. Also, given the modest 4 Euro entrance fee (less for 65 and over), it is one of the city's best bargains. Signs say no photos, but that didn't stop the tour groups we observed. At the least I would recommend no flash. There is sufficient light for decent photos if you are inclined to ignore the site regulations. Allow a minimum of one hour to visit. I recommend stopping at the gift shop and asking about the rose petal rosary beads. They make for a good story even if you don't wish to buy them, fairly expensive at 40 Euros - about $55.

I was not prepared to be so impressed by this monestary. Fantastic paintings. The subject of most of them was rather gruesome with depictions of munks dying in various horrible ways. The English are NOT nice people in these paintings :-)And then you enter the church of the monestary: MAGIC! The decoration are amazing. Don't miss the ceiling. To bad you are not allowed to take photos.

So many paintings, I thought i was in a museum. I assumed that monasteries were poor, but not this one.

Don't miss it out - it isn't allowed to take pictures; it is most probably one of the most spectacular historical buildings in Spain!