Where to go by car in Madrid. Surroundings of Madrid attractions, what to see - YouRoute. Madrid card - is it worth buying

is a magical city, home to great museums such as the Prado and the Royal Palace. If you're a shopper, you can shop till you drop at El Rastro, the famous large open-air market. You will greatly expand your excursion plan, as well as your horizons, if you visit the following places in Madrid.

Monument Valley of the Fallen dedicated to the Civil War

The Valley of the Fallen Monument was erected in honor of those killed in the Spanish Civil War. During the construction, the labor of prisoners was used, who carved the monument directly from the mountain slope. The monument is very popular among tourists. national park, located just minutes from the Escorial Monastery, is the burial place of almost 40,000 who died in that 1930s war.

Avila is the highest provincial center in Spain.

If you like to visit churches and cathedrals, then the city of Ávila is just for you. Better known as the "City of Stones", this place contains more Gothic and Romanesque churches per capita than any other city in Spain. It is the highest located provincial center in Spain, with a wonderful view of the river. You can take a break from all the church trips by walking along the timeless city wall, which dates back to the 11th century.

Manzanares el Real Castle (New Castle of Manzanares el Real)

Manzanares el Real Castle looks like an impressive 15th century fortress. He is also known for the movie El Cid. This place is also called Castle-Los-, as it belonged to the royal family. Built entirely of granite, the six-story castle is a prime example of defensive architecture. Today it is a museum of Spanish castles and is located 50 km from Madrid.

City of Cuenca (Cuenca) - a medieval walled city

And the medieval city of Cuenca will offer you such spectacles that you don’t see every day: there houses rise directly from the rocks. It is a fortified city that has been fought over for many centuries. Many buildings here date back to the 12th century, including the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Mayor. It was the first Gothic cathedral erected in the city of Cuenca. This city is a great place to feel the charm of the old world. You can reach this place within an hour by high-speed train from Madrid.

Escorial Monastery (El Escorial)

Also you should visit the monastery of El Escorial. It is only part of the El Escorial complex, which consists of: the royal palace, school and museum. The complex was erected in the 16th century by an architect who worked on St. Basilica in Rome. Originally, the monastery was built for monks, but today it belongs to the Order of St. Augustine.

Toledo - city of cobbled streets and marzipan

And in the ancient city you can walk along the picturesque cobbled streets. The city is erected on a hillside, and tourists usually begin to inspect it, starting from the top and gradually going down. It presents a mixture of Christian, Jewish and Muslim culture, so here you can find buildings in the architecture of which there are features of three religions at once. Here you should definitely visit the Cathedral of St. Mary, the Alcazar fortress and, of course, try the local marzipan.

The ancient city of Segovia (Segovia) - was a major trading center in the past

The ancient city of Segovia was shopping mall and was famous for its good textile industry. Don't miss the famous Roman aqueduct, 728 meters long and 28 meters high, dominating the city and its surroundings. Another architectural marvel of 25 blocks held in place without cement can be found in this city.

Private tours from Madrid. Excursions suburbs of Madrid.

Individual excursions are carried out on cars for 1-4 people, and on minibuses up to 6 people. Private tours start at your hotel.

The main attractions of the suburbs of Madrid, TOP 10 places in the vicinity of the capital of Spain, which we recommend to see, the city of Toledo Toledo, the city of Segovia Segovia, the Escorial Escorial , the Valley of the Fallen El Valle de los Caídos, the Royal Palace of Aranjuez Aranjuez, the city of Alcala de Henares Alcalá de Henares, the city of Salamanca Salamanca, city ​​of Chinchon Chinchon, Royal Palace of El Pardo Palacio Real de El Pardo, Royal Palace of La Granja San Idelfonso Palacio Real de La Granja de San Ildefonso.

Attractions of Madrid TOP TOP 10 places >>>

City of Toledo Toledo - The ancient capital of Castile and Spain, a city that froze in the 16th century, after the transfer of the capital in 1561 to Madrid, the city of Toledo no longer expanded and the stpy city remained completely behind the fortress wall. Toledo is called an open-air museum, a city of three cultures and religions, Christian, Muslim and Jewish. The main attractions of the city are the Main Cathedral XIII, the Alcazar, the Arab fortress, later the Royal Palace, the Synagogues of the XII and XIV centuries, the El Greco House Museum, Roman bridges, the Museum of the Spanish Inquisition, the Museum of the Templars and much more...

City of Segovia Segovia- In the Middle Ages, the city was the "second capital" of Castile, many historical events are connected with Segovia, here in 1474 Isabelle Católica Isabel la Católica was crowned on the throne of Castile, which laid the foundation for the creation of the Spanish Empire, the most famous Spanish Emperor Philip II married for the fourth time , in 1521 Juan Bravo Juan Bravo raised an uprising in Segovia against the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Charles V. The sights of the city of Segovia, this is primarily a Roman aqueduct, which is 2.000 years old, the best preserved Roman heritage in Europe, the castle-fortress Alcazar, is the logo of the company Walt Disney, as the Spaniards say, is one of the most beautiful Cathedrals in Spain, Romanesque churches of the 11th-12th centuries.

You can book individual and group tours with us.

Monastery - Palace of San Lorenzo de Escorial San Lorenzo de El Escorial- The grandiose building was built by the most famous Spanish Emperor Philip II, in honor of the victory over the French on August 10, 1557, the battle of San Quintín San Quintín took place on the Day of San Lorenzo San Lorenzo, the saint whom the Romans burned on a brazier, so the palace-monastery is very many sculptures and paintings are associated with San Lorenzo. Now it is a museum where you can see the chambers of Philip II and his family, the pantheon of the Spanish Kings, where all the kings are buried except for two, the museum of the history of the construction of the palace, the Escorial library (it is considered the second in the world after the Vatican)

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Valley of the Fallen El Valle de los Caídos- The complex was built by General Francisco Franco in honor of the Civil War (1936-1939). You will not see this anywhere in the world, the highest Catholic cross is 150 meters high, and a tunnel carved into the rock is 600 meters high. The monument was officially opened in honor of the 20th anniversary of the end of the war, in 1959. All the unknown soldiers are buried in the Valley of the Fallen, whose graves were moved from all over Spain. General Franco himself and the founder of the Falangist party, José Antonio Prima de Revera, are also buried here. Currently, the entire complex belongs to the Benedic Monastery.

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Royal Palace of Aranjuez Aranjuez- The residence of the Spanish Monarchs, where they usually came in the spring, Aranjuez is located in a south direction from Madrid, and Escorial was usually visited in July and August, it is located in the north. Aranjuez is called the "Spanish Versailles", you will see very beautiful and large parks, unique fountains. The palace was rebuilt many times since the XII century, in the form that we see now, this is the end of the XVIII century, during the reign of Charles III.

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Attractions in the suburbs of Madrid, TOP TOP 10 places around Madrid - City of Alcalá de Henares Alcalá de Henares

City of Alcalá de Henares Alcalá de Henares- The place where the great Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was born in 1547, his famous novel "Don Quixote" as the Spaniards say, is the most published book in the world after the Bible. Sights of the city of Alcala de Henares: the House-Museum of Miguel Cervantes, the Cathedral of the City, where the first children of the martyrs Saints Justus (Justus) and Pastor are buried, here in 1499 the best University of Spain Complutense Universidad Complutense was opened, and of course storks, which are comfortably housed in their nests on the rooftops of the city.

City of Salamanca Salamanca- One of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Castile and Spain, the history of the city goes back over 3,000 years. Sights of the city of Salamanca: The first University opened in Spain in 1218, the Cathedral of Salamanca, the old Romanesque cathedral of the 13th century, and the new Gothic cathedral of the 16th century. The style in which the city of Salamanca is built, of yellow stone, is called "plateresco plateresco" or in honor of the architects of the Churriquera brothers Churriguera "churrigueresco churrigueresco".

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Chinchon City Chinchon- It is called "Gastronomic Mecca", a small town near Madrid. The main attraction of the city is Plaza Mayor Plaza Mayor, which is completely wooden. On the balconies of the square there are very cozy restaurants, many of which had or have Michelin stars. In Madrid, there is such a proverb Chinchon, Plaza, Castillo, Meson Chinchón, plaza, castillo y mesón, in Chinchon there is a castle, half destroyed and a church of the 16th century, bullfights and various theatrical performances take place on the square on holidays.

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Attractions suburbs of Madrid, TOP TOP 10 places around Madrid - Royal Palace of El Pardo Palacio Real de El Pardo

Royal Palace of El Pardo Palacio Real de El Pardo- located 10 km from Madrid, this is the oldest royal palace in Madrid, it was built back in 1405 by the King of Castile Enrique (Henry) III Enrique III de Castilla. Over the centuries, the palace was reconstructed and rebuilt, by the founder of the Great Spanish Empire Charles V, then by his son Philip II, his court architects Juan de Vergara Juan de Vergara and Juan de Herrera Juan de Herrera, who built the palace of the monastery of San Lorenzo El Escorial Monasterio de San Lorenzo del Escorial.

From 1939 until his death in 1975, Pardo Palace was the residence of General Francisco Franco.

Attractions suburbs of Madrid, TOP 10 places around Madrid - Royal Palace of La Granja San Ildefonso Palacio Real de La Granja de San Ildefonso

Royal Palace of La Granja San Ildefonso Palacio Real de La Granja de San Ildefonso - The palace is located 11 km from Segovia, and during an individual excursion to the city of Segovia we visit it. The Palace of La Granja, like Aranjuez, is called the "Spanish Versailles", very beautiful and large parks, magnificent cascades of fountains. The palace was built by the First Spanish Bourbon Philip V, he really did not like Escorial, considered it a gray and unsightly palace, so he decided to build a new palace in the mountains of the Sierra de Guadaramma La Sierra de Guadarrama, after his death he vowed to bury himself here, let me remind you that all the Spanish Kings are buried in Escoriale, with the exception of Philip V and his son Fernando VI.

You can book private tours with us.

The Spanish capital, due to its convenient geographical location, is ideal for a vacation base. Nearby interesting cities are within easy reach, and there is no problem for active travelers where to go from for one day.

In the TOP destinations

Having admired enough of the capital's sights, guests of the city usually rush to the surroundings and suburbs:

• At the foot of the majestic mountain range The Sierra de Guadarrama built the famous Escorial. The palace has a well-deserved reputation, and its scale boggles the imagination of even today's engineers.
• The Valley of the Fallen is a world record holder. The memorial is dedicated to those who died in the civil war, and its main attraction is the basilica, carved into the rock and stretching 262 meters underground.
• The Alcazar Castle once inspired Walt Disney to create many masterpieces. It is located in where the historic decision was made on the campaign of Columbus to the west.
• The birthplace of Cervantes, the town of Alcala de Henares boasts an abundance of ancient architectural monuments of the Roman era. The easiest way to get here is by train from Chamartin station.

Traveling around the metropolitan area by car is very pleasant, but there are problems with parking in the historical centers of cities. Public transport in this situation is much more convenient, especially since the bus and railway connections between Madrid and the suburbs and provinces are perfectly established.

Universal scales

Escorial is called among the first destinations where you can go from Madrid on your own. An hour by train (timetables and ticket prices are available on the website - www.renfe.com) or by buses N661 and 664 from Moncloa station separates the traveler from the huge monastery-palace complex, the construction of which began in 1563 by King Philip II.
Today, the palace contains many works by great artists - Titian and El Greco, Coelho and Bosch, and the remains of Spanish kings rest in a magnificent pantheon of jasper, marble and bronze. The library of the complex has collected the largest collection of Arabic manuscripts.
The Escorial is open six days a week except Mondays from 10 am to 5 pm. The price of the entrance ticket is 5 euros.
The N660 bus takes you from the palace to the Fallen in a few minutes.

From children's stories

The outlines of the Alcazar Castle in Segovia will seem familiar to any kid, because it was this majestic building that told Walt Disney what it should look like.
90 km separates the city from the capital and when deciding where to go from Madrid, fans of ancient architecture choose the direction to the northwest. Segovia has the honorary status of a city-museum and has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985.
In addition to the Alcazar Palace, the largest ancient Roman aqueduct and the cathedral in the Old World are noteworthy here. Numerous restaurants in Segovia offer a signature dish - roasted suckling pig.

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Back in January, my friends found tickets to Madrid for the beginning of March (05-08) through the Iberia campaign and offered me, as an avid traveler and family friend)), to join them. I agreed, as they say, without looking, then I only realized that 15,550 rubles for a round-trip ticket is not at all cheap. But the desire for new travels, emotions and discoveries strangled my toad in the bud.

Inspired by the positive experience of almost independent previous trips (only a visa and hotels were done through a travel agency), this time we decided to join the sacred community independent tourists and completely the whole tour "from and to" to work out by yourself. Air tickets were purchased through the Iberia website, paying with Vika's VISA debit card. It should be noted that in general her card was very popular on this trip. Mine was used only once, and even then, because I was lazy to fork out cash immediately upon arrival in Madrid. The hotel was booked through www.booking.com. Booking was sent by email. The most stressful moment for us was obtaining a visa. The first time they did it themselves. I went through the entire Internet and forums in order to fill out the questionnaire correctly. Members of the forum www.talusha.3bb.ru gave me great help. The documents were submitted on February 12 on Fri, and an SMS that we can pick up our passports from the Visa Center came on Tue 16, on Thu we already opened the envelopes with a brand new visa for 90/180 (ninety days of stay within six months). Happiness knew no bounds! :-))

Intensive preparation for the trip began: how to see everything in 4 days, what do you want to see first of all!? The question is not easy. Madrid, as the main place of our deployment, was supposed to be looked at in the intervals between trips to the nearest cities. For the first time, we studied the Spanish railway network via the Internet (www.renfe.es), printed out the train schedule for the required dates, but did not dare to book. We already have enough bookings for this trip. In addition to the hotel and the purchase of air tickets by credit card, we purchased an e-ticket on the Prado website (7 euros through the Call Center and 8 euros at the ticket office) for a visit at 13.15 on the day of arrival.

Our plan was to spend the first day in Madrid (visit the museum and walk around the city), then go to Salamanca on the second day, dedicate the third day to Segovia and Avila, and go to Toledo on the last day. As usual, the plans were slightly corrected by the prankster Chance, or maybe our hostess Fate.

First day - March 5, 2010 - Madrid

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For the first time, I flew on the principle of “madame with you” (I didn’t check anything in my luggage, only hand luggage). Check-in for the flight was carried out a day before departure through the Iberia website. Very simple and convenient! Our flight was early in the morning at 07.25. We got to the airport by taxi without any problems in 40 minutes and 1200 rubles)))).
Yandex promised me that it would take an hour)))). In and believe him after that)). Somehow passed quickly passport control and began to wait for the departure, which is a little
delayed. We flew unnoticed, although the flight was not short (about five and a half hours, but compared to Portugal, where six hours flew, it’s just
nonsense)). Upon arrival, while friends were waiting for luggage, I went to the tourist office at the airport to find out how best to get to the hotel, at the same time
bought tickets for RENFE trains to the cities of interest to us. It was here that I paid for everything with a Sberbank VISA debit card.

The issue of transport communication in Madrid was somehow not fully worked out by us in Moscow, so we decided to take the metro to the hotel, which we regretted, especially I). To the station Sevilla, where our hotel was waiting)), we drove indecently for a long time. I was severely stormy to the point of fainting. Perhaps this was a consequence of a sleepless night and vigil on the plane.

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At 12.55 nervously (we were very afraid not to make it to the paid museum) we checked into the Regina 3* hotel. Having barely thrown off our things in the room, we rushed in the rain to the Prado Museum.

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Then we had lunch, aka dinner, at a restaurant whose name escaped my memory completely. It was tasty, but not very clean)). We tried local rose wine, real Spanish olives, as well as jamon croquettes and Monchego cheese. For me, who hates olives in any form, Spanish ones have become a real discovery - nothing to do with what they sell in Russia, a completely different taste, I like it. They took sea bass - delicious, but the best ones were still treated in Portugal. Surprisingly, I liked the local asparagus, which I also don’t eat in ordinary life. Still, Spain, being an agricultural country, clearly justifies its specialization.

The nasty rain on the street did not think to end, even after we had finished with dinner. In this regard, we decided to go to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which contains paintings by Italian, English, French, German and even American masters who have been creating over the past eight centuries. And we did successfully)) went in: by chance we got to the magnificent exhibition "Monet and Abstractionism", where we saw Turner's works, as well as Monet's paintings not only from museums around the world, but also from private collections. The main idea of ​​the exhibition was to show the viewer how the works of the impressionist Monet influenced the development of abstract expressionism and other forms of artistic abstraction in the first quarter of the second half of the 20th century)). In general, we were very impressed full program! From the surging emotions I almost demolished the fences)))) near the pictures. To celebrate, we again bought magnets, bags and books about Monet and his works at the local store.

To my shame, I did not know about the existence of such a museum before my trip to Madrid. And he deserves attention. In general, there are three main museums in Madrid, which together form the so-called "golden triangle of arts": the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofia Museum. It was not possible to get into the latter purely physically, and I personally am not a fan of the art of the artists of Spain of the 20th century, with the exception of Dali, but you can enjoy his work in other places)) ...

Straight from the museum, we went for a walk around Madrid at night, the purpose of which was to get acquainted with the most important cathedral in Madrid - the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena, or Nuestra Señora de la Almudena. The cathedral is young, it was founded at the end of the 19th century. Photogenic)) outside.

Here, another simple dream of mine came true - to try local churros, which taste like our donuts, only they have an elongated shape and are more salty in taste. EH, it’s a pity they were served sugar, not powder, which would be more appropriate ... According to tradition, churros are best eaten with hot chocolate, dipping a donut in it)).

On the second attempt, they got on the train))). The trains are chic, comfortable, if you went on the Sapsan, then you will understand what I mean. It was Saturday, the MD train (regional, i.e. not long distance, and long-lived, because tickets for trains with this mark are cheaper than for AVE or AVANT)) the train was packed, Sasha and Vi were sitting at one end of the car, I was at the other. The people were seated drastically. It's a long way to Salamanca - 2.40. Someone took out laptops (sockets for them are built right into the hollows between the chairs), some enjoyed fast food, someone buried themselves in their book (well, they carry the Talmuds with them, each book is at least 4 cm thick), and someone was just sleeping peacefully, sniffing against the wall)). Spaniards' suitcases were scattered all over the train. People calmly put their expensive equipment for recharging at the other end of the car, went to the toilet, leaving gadgets and devices unattended, and someone decorously and nobly moved around the car in their socks. Having seen enough of all this “disgrace” and feeling at home, I habitually fell into the musical astral… - green bushes resembling moss. The first thought is where they are taking me and where I am in general. The ears were a little stuffy, as it turned out later, we were driving through some kind of hill. An hour later, the area outside the window turned habitually green again. I calmed down and went to visit my friends. Their work on the development of guidebooks was in full swing. I felt ashamed, took a couple of printouts - well, nothing climbed into my “bright” head)).

We arrived in Salamanca and then our running around began. From the station to the old town, walk 15-20 minutes along the Passeo de la Estacion. I can say with confidence that we saw all the sights that were marked in our favorite guide "Around the World" and on the map of the city, which we took from the tourist office, located in one of the buildings on Plaza Mayor. In the same place, if you doubt that you will have time to see everything, you can ask the staff to draw you a route for the main places to visit, they will do it with pleasure. In general, the hospitality of turofis always amazes me in a kind way. This is how you need to love your job, to smile a hundred times, or even more, to each client and repeat the same thing! Mystery…)))

Of course, I, like many others, did not remain indifferent to the bizarre carving of the facade (performed in the period 1524 - 1610) of the Church of St. Stephen in the Plateresco style.

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How lived that there was no sun! When you get acquainted with the architectural beauties of Salamanca, you especially regret its absence. The head didn't go down. There are some nuances with the inspection of the interiors of buildings, always pay attention to the hours of access for tourists inside. In this regard, we had to build a trajectory of movement in the city with a bizarre pattern)).

Salamanca - amazing city. It has two cathedrals - the old one, Catedral Vieja (XII-XIII centuries) and the new one, Catedral Nueva. The old one did not accommodate all Christians for mass, and in the 16th century it was decided to build a new Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Entrance to both cathedrals is paid, there are no prices on tickets, photography is prohibited in the old one, but I remember we took pictures, most likely it was only in the new cathedral. They climbed the medieval cathedral towers of the old church (110 meters), walked among the spiers. Sun, wow! They didn’t shout ((. Very picturesque anyway! When you go down from the towers, do not forget to look for the figure of an astronaut on the cathedral.

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In 1218, the world-famous university was founded in Salamanca, which we could not miss visiting. Until now, students study within its walls. Initially, training was conducted in the cathedral, later it was taken out to civilian buildings. Part of the university complex has been given over to museum funds, and in the other part, a measured student life is still flowing. Actually, I observed a similar situation once in Oxford and Cambridge. We were impressed by the university library with an endless wall of ancient tomes and a huge globe.

When we continued to walk around the city, I made fun of the house with shells, which, like pimples, surrounded the building from all sides. The streets, as in all medieval towns, are narrow and sometimes it is easy to run past the sights, just hang your head down a bit.

We walked along the next Plaza Mayor, which, as far as I know, is in any city in Spain. And if you get lost and you need to go to the city center, because there are usually located tourist offices, then do not hesitate to stop the first person you come across (preferably, of course, a local Spaniard)))) and say Plaza “Major, porfabor!”, The main thing is to follow the direction of his hand (the Spaniards are no less emotional and talkative than Italians and Russians), and you can safely go in the indicated direction.

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I really liked the cozy charming courtyards of the churches, surrounded on all sides by covered arched galleries, the so-called cloisters. In the center of such a courtyard there is a whole garden with orange trees, and sometimes simple flower beds are subtly woven into the architectural ensemble of the cloister.

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In the evening, alas, for the first and last time on this trip, we were lucky (as we later realized) to get and dine at the Botin restaurant. The place is considered touristy and expensive, as it is located in the city center near Plaza Mayor, but the local natives (as we affectionately called the Spaniards) do not shy away from entering it. After a short wait, we were led into a small room next to the kitchen. A couple of Americans, Germans and several native Spaniards became our neighbors - a good company if no one interferes with each other)). We ordered naturally jamon with melon and Sangria (although it was not the season for this drink, it is usually consumed in summer). There was also some delicious second, but the most delicious jamon eclipsed any delicacies that evening. The sangria was the perfect accompaniment to this dish.

The day full of emotions and impressions ended with a sweet dream.

Day 3 - March 7, 2010 - Madrid - Segovia - Madrid

This day was to be eventful, because it was planned to visit two cities, Segovia with an aqueduct stretching into the distance and Avila, where, alas, we did not happen to get on this visit (I did get to this wonderful town on another trip, but that's a completely different story )))…). Buses from Segovia do not go there during the day. Apparently, those five flights that were mentioned in the guide "Around the World" fell on the morning and evening hours)).

But first things first. It was interesting to go to Segovia (trains depart from Chamartin station, travel 30 minutes, the cost of a ticket by AVE train (Spanish high-speed - up to 330 km / h) one way per person is about 10 euros) was interesting: the train dropped off those who wanted to explore the city almost in an open field, from where buses transported arriving passengers to the city itself. Why such difficulties is unknown. Probably, before the crowds of tourists got to the city on the overhead, then the railway station was built.

The most, without a doubt, the most amazing thing in Segovia meets at the entrance to the city - this is the famous Roman aqueduct 728 meters long and 28 meters high (listed as a UNESCO heritage and therefore is a world heritage and is protected by all mankind). The nasty rain continued to follow us, so the photos were not so impressive.

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From a bird's eye view, they unsuccessfully tried to find the bus stop from which they had to go to Avila. Alas, the chic late-Gothic cathedral of the 16th century, which offers an excellent view from the observation deck of the Alcazar, was shrouded in fog. No matter how they asked and did not exhort, the clouds did not part, the vile fine rain tried to wet our cameras)).

We returned to Madrid by bus. It is quite tolerable and comfortable, especially when it is pouring rain outside)). Since the time allotted for visiting Ávila hadn't gone anywhere, my friends decided to make the most of it by visiting the local cemetery and then walking through the Retiro Park. My friends are quite normal people, but they like to visit cemeteries and visit graves. famous people. So, in Kazan we went to Lobachevsky, and in Salzburg - to the gravestone of Paracelsus. Even in Moscow, the Madrid cemetery interested them with its geometry (view from above).

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Well, we went to look at the crypts-corpses. The place struck with its calmness, deathly silence and geometric alignment of places. When friends set out to photograph local architectural statues, a security guard immediately ran up to them and asked them not to take pictures, since the shooting was paid, and the ticket office had already closed. For 30-40 minutes we wandered around this strange place almost alone (they were followed at a distance by the same lover of the unusual with a camera). The weather, as never before, was very, very conducive to the walk: a fine, nasty rain was pouring down, chills from dampness pierced my whole body. All the way I was not left with some kind of imposed feeling that we were being watched. The drizzling rain only intensified it ... Friends were all looking for something so beautiful to shoot and how to do it unnoticed by the guard. We managed to catch a couple of good shots. There really are very beautiful sculptural compositions and entire groups. At some point, it seemed that you were not in the place where the bodies rest, but just walking around the park. Unlike Russian, European cemeteries do not cause bouts of acute despair and deep sadness in me. Maybe the lack of photos on the tombstones contributes to this, or maybe it’s just that in this place, leaving for another world is felt as the joy of liberation, and not a reason for suffering. After leaving the walls, a sigh of relief spontaneously escaped from his chest.

At all times, we rushed to the local park of culture and recreation - Retiro Park. The park really liked the Crystal Palace, a lake with ducks and other waterfowl, as well as a grotto with a mini-waterfall. We walked and wandered until we finally got damp)).

The rest of the evening was spent photographing the monuments of Madrid: Goya and Velazquez posed for us at the Prado, and a bear (I wonder who installed the floor and how) with a strawberry tree - not far from our hotel.

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Today our plan was Toledo. The morning greeted us with a clear sky, the rays of the still cold spring sun and a fairly low temperature. Well-insulated, we first ran to re-photograph the main sights of Madrid in new colors, and then rushed to the station to catch the train. We traveled to Toledo from the Atocha station, located on the opposite side from Chamartin. The station seemed more confusing to me, but we found our train without difficulty. What are, in principle, chic trains in Spain. At the Atocha station, we could observe several models of trains at once, one more beautiful than the other. Our Peregrine Falcons are also made by the German company Siemens, which supplies its rides to Spain as well. It is generally believed that the best railways in the world are in France and Spain. I have not yet been able to get acquainted with the French railways, but the Spanish have conquered once and for all.

The train left the station at 10.20, already at 10.50 the city was waiting for us. They had to go with a high-speed AVANT, that is, for quickly and expensively (about 18 euros round trip)).

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Having enjoyed shopping to our heart's content and having bought an n-th number of bracelets (pendants, earrings and plates), we ran to see the beauties, which turned out to be no less than in the cities we had already visited. By tradition, we checked in at the Plaza Mayor, which seemed to me the most modest of all the ones I had seen before. The most indelible impression was made on me by the Cathedral of St. Mary, built in the XII-XV centuries.

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We also visited a couple of synagogues, of which I would like to mention the synagogue of Santa Maria La Blanca (end of the 11th century, Mudéjar style) with unusual horseshoe-shaped arches inside, graceful capitals and twisted sculptural decorations and paintings on white walls. In the 15th century, the synagogue became the church of St. Mary La Blanca, then in the 17th century it served as an army barracks, and in 1930 it became a national monument.

Just like the old city of Salamanca (I forgot to mention earlier), the old city of Toledo, which we visited on the last day of our stay in Madrid, is a monument included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, i.e. there is a chance that for many years no one will dare to modernize and destroy it.

After our walks through the highs and lows of Toledo on the Alcantara Bridge, we headed to the railway station to return to Madrid. The station is unusually beautiful, made in a modern interpretation of the Mudéjar style. It's nice to start your acquaintance with beautiful Toledo from him. 0

We got to the airport without incident. As a souvenir, in addition to magnets, we bought a lot of jamon, a couple of bottles of Sangria, olive oil in a gift format.

Be sure to try the wine on the plane. Flight attendants are unlikely to offer themselves, ask without undue modesty yourself. There is a choice of red and white wine. The quality is excellent for my taste. Already on the plane we drank a bottle of delicious red with Sasha. Vika had passed out by then. Goodbye Madrid!

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Madrid (Madrid) is located in the center of Spain, and therefore it is convenient to travel around the country in all directions from here. In the vicinity of Madrid there are many interesting places, however, as in the more remote regions of Spain. All this provides almost limitless scope for imagination and creates all the necessary prerequisites for organizing a huge variety of routes. independent travel across Spain. But first things first. The question of where to stay in Madrid itself is discussed in detail. Therefore, further we will focus on the routes. So, where to go from Madrid?

Outskirts of Madrid

You can start your acquaintance with the surroundings of Madrid, without further ado, from the UNESCO World Heritage List: the monastery in Escorial (El Escorial), the Roman aqueduct in Segovia (Segovia), the university campus and the birthplace of Miguel Cervantes Alcala de Henares (Alcalá de Henares) , the royal palace in Aranjuez (Aranjuez), Avila (Ávila), Cuenca (Cuenca), Toledo (Toledo). All these points are easily accessible. railways. Escorial, Alcala de Henares and Aranjuez go suburban trains(see www.ctm-madrid.es) and to Toledo, Cuenca, Ávila and Segovia, Renfe high-speed and regional trains (see www.renfe.com). You can also resort to bus routes.

For the first acquaintance in all the listed cities, it makes sense to make one-day excursions. However, if we talk about Toledo, then we would still recommend staying in this city for two or three days - it's worth it. Moreover, during the day the streets of Toledo are flooded with tourists, but in the evenings it is much more pleasant to walk here (see Toledo hotels).

From Toledo, you can also go to other interesting places, for example, look at the windmills in Consuegra. It takes about 50 minutes to get to Consuegra by bus (see www.samar.es). Consuegra is also accessible from Madrid, but the journey takes about 2.5 hours (see www.aisa-grupo.com and www.samar.es). Getting from Toledo is definitely more convenient. If you go by car, you can also capture the town of Campo de Criptana, where you can also find beautiful views to windmills. On the public transport to go to Campo de Criptana from Madrid or Toledo, to put it mildly, is not very convenient - it is long and there are few routes during the day (this applies equally to buses and trains).

In addition to these, there are many less obvious destinations for short trips from Madrid. For example, Chinchon and Colmenar de Oreja. Both towns can be covered in one day, and you can get to them by shuttle bus No. 337 from the Conde de Casal station (bus timetables) - the journey will take no more than an hour. This is a slightly hyped tourist destination, and therefore, unlike the places on the UNESCO list, it is much calmer and not crowded here. There are other variants from the same opera. For example, Guadalajara (Guadalajara), which can complement a trip to Alcala de Henares. You can also get to Alcala by train or by bus. In the same direction, but a little further (about an hour and a half by train), is the interesting medieval town of Sigüenza. You can also devote half a day to a day to it. In general, the list can be continued almost indefinitely.

From Madrid to Spain

Due to its location, Madrid is quite convenient to combine with other cities in Spain. From Madrid you can go to the northeast - to Zaragosa (Zaragosa) and Barcelona (Barcelona), and to the south - to Cordoba (Córdoba) and Seville (Sevilla), and in other directions - to Salamanca (Salamanca), Valencia (Valencia). ), Bilbao. All these are large cities, which are conveniently accessible both by land transport and by plane (in some cases). In the vicinity of each of the listed points there is a lot to see and where to go next.

It is hardly possible here to cover all possible options for independent travel routes from Madrid. A lot will depend on your own interests and preferences. For example, if you want to combine cultural trips with a beach holiday, then first of all you should look at the surroundings of Cadiz (Cádiz), Malaga, Alicante (Alicante), Valencia (Valencia) or Barcelona. To get in touch with the Arab period of Spanish history, head to Seville, Granada or Córdoba. If you are interested in castles and monasteries, then from Madrid you can go somewhere in the area of ​​Burgos (Burgos) or Valladolid (Valladolid). In general, there are a lot of possibilities. We hope that the above information will help you decide on the directions for further research.