Andalusia. Malaga

  Our journey through Andalusia began in Málaga, a Mediterranean port city that has served as a gateway to the region for centuries. Originally founded by the Phoenicians around the 8th century BC, it later became an important Roman settlement and, during the Moorish period, a prosperous trading port. Today, Málaga is known not only for its beaches and pleasant climate but also for its rich historical heritage and as the birthplace of Pablo Picasso...

 Andalusia, in the south of Spain, is a region where Europe and the Islamic world meet, and where centuries of different civilisations have left an extraordinary cultural legacy. Long before becoming part of Spain, this land was home to Phoenicians, Romans and Visigoths. But perhaps the most defining period began in 711 AD, when Muslim armies from North Africa crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and conquered much of the Iberian Peninsula. The territories under Muslim rule became known as Al-Andalus, a name that would become synonymous with a remarkable period of architectural, scientific and cultural development. For almost eight centuries, Islamic civilization shaped southern Spain, transforming cities such as Córdoba, Granada and Seville into major centres of knowledge, trade and art. Although Muslim rule eventually ended in 1492 with the fall of Granada, the last Moorish kingdom, its legacy remains everywhere - in magnificent palaces, intricate geometric decorations, horseshoe arches, gardens, fountains and the very character of Andalusian cities. This was the historical world we wanted to discover during our journey.

  We arrived in the morning and, after taking the train from the airport to the city centre, headed straight towards the beach. After the flight, there could hardly have been a better way to start the trip...

  

  As we approached the coastline, we enjoyed the views of palm trees and the densely planted greenery lining the promenade. The Mediterranean atmosphere was immediately noticeable, wide pedestrian avenues, warm sunshine and the relaxed rhythm of life along the waterfront.

 It was the last days of October, yet the temperature was around 22°C. We spent some time on the beach and even went for a swim. The Mediterranean water felt warmer than the Baltic Sea usually does during our summer. Not a bad welcome to southern Spain!

  After a relaxing break by the sea, we headed uphill to see Málaga from above. From the viewpoints on the slopes of Mount Gibralfaro, the city opened up beneath us. The panorama included the dense urban landscape, the harbour, the bullring, the cathedral and the endless blue Mediterranean stretching towards the horizon. The contrast between the white and ochre buildings, green hills and deep blue sea made it a particularly impressive first view of the city...

  The most distinctive landmark visible from the viewpoint was the La Malagueta Bullring (Plaza de Toros de La Malagueta), standing out with its circular shape and traditional architecture. Built in 1876 and designed by architect Joaquín Rucoba, it is one of Málaga's most recognisable historic buildings. Its Neo-Mudéjar style, inspired by Moorish architectural traditions, is particularly characteristic of Andalusia...

  The arena has a polygonal exterior with brick arches and decorative details, while its circular interior was designed to host bullfighting spectacles. It opened on 11 June 1876 with a bullfight featuring some of the most famous matadors of the period. Today, it remains an important part of Spanish bullfighting heritage and also hosts cultural events and concerts. From above, its distinctive shape makes it one of the most striking features of the Málaga cityscape.

  Our next stop was Gibralfaro Castle (Castillo de Gibralfaro), a medieval fortress standing high above Málaga. Built in the 14th century during the Nasrid period of the Emirate of Granada, it was designed to protect the nearby Alcazaba and control access to the city and its harbour...

  The castle is surrounded by massive defensive walls, with towers and fortified passages following the contours of the hill. Its strategic position made it an important military stronghold. The fortress was particularly significant during the Christian siege of Málaga in 1487, when the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella captured the city after a lengthy and difficult campaign.

 Walking along the ramparts, we could appreciate how effectively the fortress commanded the surrounding landscape. From here, it was easy to understand why this hill was so important for the city's defense. The views over the port, coastline and historic center were perhaps the best reward for the uphill walk.

  From Gibralfaro, we descended towards the Alcazaba, one of the finest surviving examples of Moorish military architecture in Málaga...

  Built mainly in the 11th century under the Hammudid dynasty, the Alcazaba served as both a defensive fortress and a residence for Muslim rulers. Its name comes from the Arabic al-qasbah, meaning a citadel or fortified urban complex...

  Unlike the imposing exterior walls, the interior reveals a much more delicate architectural world. We walked through a succession of courtyards, narrow passages, gardens and interconnected spaces decorated with horseshoe arches, intricate geometric patterns and traditional Islamic ornamentation. Small fountains and water channels added to the atmosphere, while carefully arranged gardens brought greenery into the stone fortress.

  The architecture reflects a characteristic feature of Al-Andalus: the use of water, light, symmetry and enclosed gardens to create peaceful spaces within fortified walls. The contrast between the military exterior and the refined interior was particularly striking...

 This was our first real encounter with the architectural heritage of Al-Andalus. In a way, the Alcazaba was a trailer for what awaited us later in Granada, Córdoba and Seville, where Moorish architecture would reach even greater levels of sophistication...

  Views from the Alcazaba...

  After visiting the Alcazaba, we stopped at the nearby Roman Theatre of Málaga, dating back to the 1st century BC. Built during the reign of Emperor Augustus, it served as a venue for performances for several centuries. Rediscovered in 1951 after being hidden beneath later buildings, it is now one of the most visible reminders of the city's Roman past...

  After leaving the Alcazaba, we continued exploring Málaga...The narrow streets, lively squares, traditional buildings and outdoor cafés offered a different perspective on the city. We passed the impressive Málaga Cathedral, often nicknamed La Manquita (the One-Armed Lady) because one of its planned towers was never completed...

  One of the highlights of our stay was the Museo Picasso Málaga. Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga on 25 October 1881, and although he spent much of his life elsewhere, his birthplace remains closely associated with his legacy. He became one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and a co-founder of Cubism, radically changing how artists represented reality. Due to the museum's popularity, we had purchased our tickets in advance for a specific time slot. Even so, we still had to wait around 25 minutes in the queue to enter, despite already having tickets - a good indication of how popular Picasso remains in his hometown. The museum is housed in the Buenavista Palace, a beautiful Renaissance building in the historic centre...

   However, our visit was particularly interesting because we arrived just after the opening of a temporary exhibition titled Munch–Picasso, which brought together more than a hundred works by two very different but surprisingly connected artists: the Norwegian Edvard Munch and the Spanish Pablo Picasso...

 Picasso's works in the museum offered a fascinating insight into his artistic evolution. He began as an exceptionally talented traditional painter, mastering classical techniques at a very young age, but gradually moved away from realistic representation towards experimentation with form, perspective and colour...

  

 

  Picasso lived an exceptionally long and productive life, reaching the age of 91. Born in Málaga in 1881, he spent most of his adult life in France, where he continued painting, sculpting, drawing, ceramics and experimenting with new forms of art until his final years. His artistic career spanned more than seven decades, producing an enormous body of work estimated at around 50,000 pieces. Remarkably, even in his eighties and nineties, he remained creatively active, constantly exploring new ideas and techniques...

  

 He constantly reinvented his style, eventually becoming one of the pioneers of Cubism, breaking objects and human figures into geometric shapes and showing several perspectives at once. What makes Picasso particularly remarkable is not simply his ability to paint, but his willingness to challenge everything he had mastered and never stop experimenting...

  One of his most famous quotes perfectly captures this artistic journey: "It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child." For Picasso, achieving artistic freedom and simplicity was much harder than mastering academic technique. His genius lay in looking at the world differently and finding new ways to express it...

 

  The next two paintings offered an interesting example of how Picasso and Munch approached the same subject from completely different perspectives. What makes them particularly fascinating is that they even share the same title: "The Artist and His Model." Both explore the relationship between an artist and his model, but their visual languages could hardly be more different. Picasso breaks the figures into bold geometric shapes, with exaggerated proportions and contrasting colours, turning the scene into an almost abstract play of forms and perspectives...

  Munch, on the other hand, uses looser brushstrokes, warm colours and a more naturalistic interior to create a psychologically charged atmosphere, where the relationship between the figures feels more intimate and mysterious. Seeing them side by side revealed how two artists could take a similar subject and transform it into entirely different artistic experiences...

  What particularly caught our attention in Munch's works were his paintings depicting naked figures on the beach. Rather than simply celebrating the human body or seaside leisure, these paintings explored the relationship between people, nature, freedom and vulnerability. The male nude figures, surrounded by the landscape, seemed to express a more instinctive connection with nature and the joy of existence.

  Another particularly powerful theme was death and mourning. Munch's art often returned to illness, loss and the death of loved ones, experiences that profoundly influenced his life. His paintings and prints frequently portray grief not through realistic scenes alone, but through distorted figures, intense colours and emotionally charged compositions. Death becomes something deeply personal and psychological rather than merely a physical event...

 Malaga turned out to be much more than just our arrival point in Andalusia. Its combination of Mediterranean coastline, ancient fortifications, Moorish architecture, lively streets and artistic heritage gave us an excellent introduction to the region.

  Málaga was also a city of contrasts, where Phoenician origins, Roman remains, Islamic fortresses, Christian monuments and modern Spanish life all coexist within walking distance of one another. But Málaga was only the beginning of our journey. Ahead of us were some of Spain's most historically significant cities - Granada, Córdoba and Seville - followed by the dramatic landscapes of Ronda and the picturesque coastal villages of Nerja and Frigiliana. Our first encounter with Al-Andalus had already sparked our curiosity about the history, architecture and culture waiting to be discovered further inland...