If you ever find yourself yearning to get out of Madrid, whether it be for a breath fresh air, to see the nearby mountains, or be it to visit famous world heritage sites; there are plenty of easily manageable buses and trains to take you to all of said getaways. I recently had the pleasure of visiting El Escorial, a 3-in-1 monastery, museum and royal palace constructed in 1584, situated 45 minutes outside of Madrid by train. Through it, you´ll encounter rooms dedicated to it´s construction, tales of battle, and king´s tombs. There are many beautiful arched cielings decorated with impressive frescos and tapestries throughout the monastery, all of which are patroled by museum guards constantly shouting, ¨Photos no!¨ to the tourists.
I decided to sneak a few photos of my own.
Outside of the palace / monastery, you can stroll for free in the gardens, which provide wonderful views of the countrside with the towers of Madrid visable far off on the horizon. It´s a perfect day trip, and right next to the monastery is the quaint village of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, which is perfect to have a coffee, beer, or tapas to relax after touring the enormous monastery.
Here are some links for train schedules to arrive. The C3 or C8 will take you from Atocha to El Escorial.
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