If you’re staying in Madrid for a length of time, some of the towns in the surrounding area are well worth a visit:
Toledo is about 45 miles south of
Madrid and has been declared a World Heritage Site. It was the capital of
Spain in 554 and there are a host of interesting historical sites to enjoy.
Aranjuez, 29 miles from
Madrid, was the summer residence of the former kings and inspired the composer, Rodrigo, to write his famous Concerto de Aranjuez. It’s been renowned for centuries for its strawberries and asparagus and is a favourite refuge of Madrilenos in search of fresh air.
Segovia is a charming old city perched high on a rocky outcrop 54 miles from
Madrid. It’s also a World Heritage Site. The aqueduct that still crosses it was built under the Roman Emperor Augustus. The Alcazar mustn’t be missed: it’s like a fairy-tale castle rising above the cliff.
El Escorial,which is about 31 miles north-west of
Madrid, is the site of a huge building comprising a magnificent palace and a monastery that contains one of the best-stocked libraries in the world. The building has nine towers, sixteen patios, eighty-six sets of stairs, eighty-eight fountains, and twelve-hundred windows.
All these places are easily reachable by train from Madrid’s main station, Atocha. Full details of timetables and fares on the Spanish Railways website, www.renfe.es/ingles
