One of my favorite clients loves group hiking trips, and right now he's planning a stunning adventure in the Pyrenees this summer. He can extend it a few days in Barcelona or Madrid. Each city is also excellent for mountain day trips to visit hiking villages, heritage sites, palaces, art museums, and more. The article below is filled with ideas - all within an hour of Madrid. I'll be sending this to him, of course!
Excerpt below from10/28/2024 article by Andrew Ferren can found here.
In 1561, Spain’s King Felipe II declared the then smallish and sleepy city of Madrid the capital of his growing global empire. Why he did so remains a mystery; Madrid has no navigable river and is far from major seaports. There wasn’t a cathedral or palace or any grand plaza for courtly celebrations, and no one of political importance lived there. But the city’s ideal location at the center of the Iberian Peninsula likely sealed its fate, since the king spent much of his time on the road visiting realms around the country. Felipe II prized easy overland access from Madrid to the provinces.
Nearly 500 years later, Madrid has grown in every direction and gained all the impressive landmarks it lacked back in the 1500s. But it’s still a relative breeze getting in and out of the city. Europe’s largest rail network whisks travelers at 180 mph to seaside destinations such as Barcelona and Málaga in under three hours. But venturing so far afield (at such high speeds!) certainly isn’t required. Within the Comunidad de Madrid – the equivalent of a 5,000-square-mile state – medieval villages, UNESCO World Heritage sites, more than 50 wineries, and a little-known Picasso museum are all within an hour’s drive.
As the views northwest from downtown rooftop terraces to the Sierra de Guadarrama reveal, Madrid is essentially a mountain town. In winter, skiers head to Valdesquí or Puerto de Navacerrada 25 miles to the north and return in time for an après-drink (think Spanish aperitivo). In the heat of summer, the nearest foothills, just 20 minutes to the north, provide a cool and dry escape from the city.
Felipe II seems to have known as much; he built his own retreat, the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, at the base of Mount Abantos. Construction of the stunning complex – which includes a monastery, church, library, royal residence, extensive gardens, and several small palaces – consumed the king for two decades. Though masterpieces by Titian, Van der Weyden, Velázquez, El Greco, and Cellini line the halls, as well as sumptuous tapestries and collected artifacts, the overall aesthetic is one of sober austerity, reflecting the monarch’s deep piety.
Travelers could easily spend a whole day exploring the monumental UNESCO World Heritage structure – which includes the gilded burial chamber of all the Spanish kings and queens since Felipe’s father, Carlos V – and the surrounding town, San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Those traveling with children catch the Tren de Felipe II, running weekend mornings from Madrid, complete with staff dressed in sixteenth-century costume. Among the town’s many charms: a stop for tapas, cocktails, and artisanal ice creams at the art nouveau-era Cafetín Croché near the monastery.
Modern Madrid might not square with Felipe’s reputation for piety and sobriety. Despite keeping late hours, though, active residents rise early on Saturdays to day-trip to the mountains. A network of popular hiking routes about 35 miles north of the city connects small villages known for their arquitectura negra – hamlets built entirely of local slate that develops a black patina with age. One 6.5-mile, moderate trek starts and ends in Patones de Arriba, a meeting point for various hiking trails (of varying degrees of difficulty) and one of Spain’s most beautiful small towns. “Upper” Patones tucks into the hillside, while Patones de Abajo sits on the plains below. In the former, cozy tavern El Lavadero serves fortifying steaks and stews on a mountain terrace.
Virtuoso on-sites work with travel advisors to organize hiking excursions and photo safaris near the castle of Manzanares el Real, as well as half-day trips to the 2,000-resident Buitrago del Lozoya, with its impressive medieval ruins and intimate Museo Picasso – Colección Eugenio Arias. Arias, a Spaniard living in exile in the South of France after the Spanish Civil War, became Pablo Picasso’s barber and confidante from 1948 until the artist’s death in 1973. Over the course of their friendship, Picasso gifted his barber works that Arias later donated.
In terms of patrimonial riches, the Spanish kings – once Europe’s wealthiest royals – made their own palatial contributions. Within an hour’s drive of Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, a handful of sumptuous palaces are open to visitors. Among the most spectacular of the group: Palacio Real de Aranjuez.
Whereas Escorial leans understated and monastic, Aranjuez – where the royal family typically spent Easter and much of the spring (during peak strawberry season) – is all about pleasure, from its vast French-style gardens to its museum collection of ornate, flat-bottomed falúas (royal barges) that once cruised the Tagus River. Made for Spain and Portugal creates custom tours of Aranjuez, followed by a winetasting and lunch at El Regajal winery, which specializes in old-vine tempranillo and grenache blends. Nearby, the Regajal Nature Reserve (open 24/7 and free to visitors) protects one of Europe’s largest butterfly populations. It’s a place to stroll, relax among nature, and contemplate the bygone royal garden parties.
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