Getaways near Madrid: beautiful towns in the capital

Madrid is much more than its capital, therefore, we propose you getaways near Madrid so that you know the friendly side of the Spanish city, away from the usual rush and noise.

The territory that makes up the Community has an attractive natural environment of mountain ranges, plateaus, reservoirs and river basins, sometimes overshadowed by the nearby presence of the big city. Nevertheless, In the Community of Madrid there are towns with a lot of charm who have known how to preserve their beauty and heritage. Next, we go through five of them to make breaks near Madrid.

Aranjuez

Crossed by the Tagus and Jarama rivers, this town near Toledo has a natural and cultural landscape within the reach of very few Spanish municipalities. Among its main tourist attractions are the Royal Palace, built by the Austrian dynasty and the Parterre, La Isla or El Príncipe gardens. A trip to Aranjuez should also include a visit to the Faluas museum, which houses the elegant boats used by the Spanish kings to navigate the Tagus River.

Other buildings of great interest to visit in Aranjuez are the Casa del Labrador, the Medinaceli Palace, the House of Trades and Knights, the House of Employees, the Church of San Antonio, the Plaza de Toros, the Mercado de Abastos or the Hospital of San Carlos.

Just one kilometer from the city is the Mar de Ontígola, an old reservoir for royal recreation that today is a refuge for waterfowl, with an ecological path and an observatory on the shore.

Patones

There are barely a dozen inhabitants who live in this small municipality in the mountains of Madrid. Patones stands out for the careful construction of its slate houses, a type of black architecture very typical of the surrounding towns, as well as in the neighboring province of Guadalajara, due to the abundance of this rock in the area.

The old hermitage from 1653 now functions as a tourist office and the town also has a Pizarra museum, which tries to explain what this type of architecture consists of through different corners of Patones. His declaration as an Asset of Cultural Interest has granted it the maximum protection that contemplates the Spanish Historical Heritage law, a fact that added to the prohibition of entering motor vehicles to the town favors the conservation of this beautiful enclave of the Jarama valley.

Patones, thanks to its beautiful natural environment, its stone architecture and its delicious gastronomy, It has become a tourist attraction that many want to know when getaways near Madrid are organized.

San Lorenzo del Escorial

Thousands of tourists a year come to this beautiful town in the mountains of Madrid to take a pleasant walk around it. The visit to San Lorenzo must begin at the Chair of Felipe II, in the Herrería forest, where the panoramic view of the complex dominated by the majestic monastery built at the foot of Mount Abantos is well worth a photograph.

Afterwards, it is unavoidable to visit the Herrerian monument that Felipe II ordered to be built and conceived as a monastery, palace and royal pantheon. Made of granite, the way in which the monastery is arranged is symbolic since it alludes to the grill in which San Lorenzo was tortured, on whose festival the victory in the battle of San Quentin took place in 1557.

The influence of El Escorial as the summer residence of the Royal Family It gave rise to some small constructions such as the Casa de Arriba that Juan de Villanueva designed on behalf of the Infante Gabriel, son of Carlos III de Borbón. The Prince's House was also built by order of Carlos IV, when he was still the crown prince. It is surrounded by a stunning garden of centuries-old redwoods.

Chinchón

Located in the Tajo-Jarama basin, 46 kilometers from Madrid capital, Chinchón is one of the most unique and best preserved towns in the Community. Its streets maintain that charm that recalls times past and all the streets are distributed around the Plaza Mayor, the place around which life in the town revolves.

Medieval in style, closed and irregular, it is surrounded by three-story buildings with wooden balconies called "clearings". Since the XNUMXth century, it has hosted royal festivals, proclamations, a comedy corral, bullfights and it has even served as a film set.

Another essential stop is the Parador de Chinchón, which occupies the old convent of the Agustinos Calzados, founded at the end of the XNUMXth century. by Andrés de Cabrera and Beatriz de Bobadilla, in an area very close to the emblematic Plaza Mayor. The current one was built in 1626 and during the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries it was a center for humanistic training. Later it was put on trial and jail until it was finally restored and converted into a Parador at the end of the XNUMXth century.

However, the town also has the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, the castle, the Casa de la Cadena and many other places to discover.

"Chinchón: anise, square and inn" so says the popular saying about this town that is also a good gastronomic destination thanks to its famous anise and its excellent wines and spirits. Any of the inns in the Plaza Mayor are good to enjoy their first quality olive oil, chichoneras beans, duels and losses, migas a la pastora or Castilian soup.

Rascafría

Nestled in the beautiful upper valley of Lozoya, the municipality of Rascafría of medieval origin is located. Its natural environment is of extraordinary scenic beauty as it is home to the Peñalara Natural Park, the Giner de los Ríos Arboretum and the Valdesquí station.

Among its most emblematic buildings we have the parish church of San Andrés Apóstol from the XNUMXth century, La Casona from the XNUMXth century that functioned as a hospital, the Belgian Sawmill, the old Casa de Postas, the Town Hall, the Casa de la Madera and the Casa del Guardia from Los Batanes. Without forgetting the Paular Monastery.