Were it not for the fact that we arrived in the middle of the Covid-19 lockdown in January 2021, we may never have discovered all the hidden gems of the larger community/province of Madrid. During this challenging time everyone was restricted to their provinces. Having moved to Spain to travel, we had to adjust our initial expectations and limit our explorations to the province of Madrid. We were not disappointed. Quite the contrary – the 8000km2 area includes many fascinating villages, monuments, palaces, gardens, and other landmarks. Gems around every corner!
With Madrid boasting some of the best public transport in the world, the rail and bus connections enabled us to travel widely within the province. We spent many weekends exploring…
In this series we share some of the highlights from these wonderful trips. The first town we visited came highly recommended by friends and colleagues…
Aranjuez
The town of Aranjuez with its spectacular gardens, Royal Palace and Old Quarter, has for centuries been a favourite spot for the kings and queens of Spain. Today it attracts tourists from all over the world.
The gardens
It is no surprise that Aranjuez was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in December 2001. The sprawling gardens are spectacular and we spent hours exploring its different sections. After doing our first trip here in winter, we absolutely had to go back in summer to see the changed landscape.
Using Versailles as a model, nature was manicured and turned into ‘garden rooms’ – an extension of the rooms in the palace. In the Jardín de la Isla one finds extensive woodlands, grand avenues and numerous stone and marble fountains. On the other side, lies the Jardín del Parterre, famous for its fabulous display of flowers. The largest of the gardens, Jardín del Príncipe, is filled with broad walkways and a great variety of species of trees.
I got goosebumps as I walked through the gardens, listening to the ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’ that Rodrigo composed for guitar and orchestra in 1939. Knowing that the music was inspired by the very garden I was in, was a huge thrill!
The Royal Palace
The palace has a long history of construction and restoration. In 1561, Philip II, ordered the construction of a building which was the precursor of the Royal Palace. In 1715, Philip V continued with the construction and completed the palace. Later, during the reign of Charles III two side wings, which make up the western part of the building, were added.
The Old Quarter
The Old Quarter of Aranjuez, a unique example of Baroque town planning, has been declared a Historic Artistic Monument. Its impressive houses with courtyards, domes, mansions, convents, balconies, squares and spacious streets are testimony to four centuries of history. Truly a sight to behold! We loved it! Truly a fabulous day out in the province of Madrid, a mere 40 km’s away from the city centre.