Have you visited San Lorenzo de El Escorial yet?

To get there, all you need to do is take a Cercanías train from Atocha to get to one of the most traditional and authentic towns in the Madrid region. San Lorenzo de El Escorial is home to one of the most important Royal Sites in Spain: the monastery built by order of King Philip II midway through the Sixteenth century and considered to be the “Eighth wonder of the World”. It is considered to be the main example of Herrerian architecture, which distinguishes itself for having a characteristic geometric style, austerity as its general rule, extreme horizontality, chalk exteriors and unique capitals which General Franco later reused in order to “bring back” imperial essence (see also the Air Force Building in Moncloa).

However, its value isn’t just in its exterior but also, or even more so, in its interior due to spaces like the library, which has a beautiful barrel vault under which there are 40,000 books of incalculable value. Prepare your visit in advance and buy your ticket through the official website. From April to September, you can visit the building from 10.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. on a free tour which approximately takes 2 hours. Basic entry tickets cost 10 euros.

It’s not just Juan de Herrera’s impressive building which provides the sole attraction in San Lorenzo de El Escorial. A walk around Calle Floridablanca, a cute little main street with the typical bourgeois feel of all prosperous cities, is also a charming option to enjoy. The street is home to the Charles III Royal Coliseum, a gem among performing arts venues since it was built in the Eighteenth century, still preserving all the essence of that time. You can check its programme and buy tickets through this link.

Lastly, to finish the day, nothing better than a sophisticated coffee at the Modernist and French-style Cafetín Croché.

Categories: Madrid Turismo