Madrid, Spain, and Side Trips You Don’t Want to Miss

Gorgeous and majestic Madrid in Spain is a city of palatial splendor, ornate monuments, historical landmarks, art, and elegance. It is the capital and cultural hub of the country and a doorway into its illustrious past.

Find a local guide in Madrid, here.

While we were there, we took side trips to the old city of Toledo, the Valley of the Fallen, and El Escorial.

See also:

• Granada
• Seville

Touring the city

Madrid is located in the center of Spain on the River Manzanares. We arrived after two weeks of touring Spain by rail. When we arrived we met up with my two teenage children who flew in to meet us and spend our last week there.

My boyfriend’s brother designed the sets and costumes for a production of La Boheme that took place at the Teatro Real Opera House, which we attended while we were there.

We also visited the Prado National Museum, rented rowboats on the lake at neighboring El Retiro Park, toured the Royal Palace, strolled the historic Plaza Mayor, and attended a Flamenco performance.

Side trips you don’t want to miss

We took a bus tour with its first stop at El Escorial. It’s a monastery where most of the Spanish monarchs are entombed. It is the historic residence of the King of Spain. It is now a monastery, basilica, royal palace, library, museum, university, and hospital.

Our next stop was the Valley of the Fallen, a monument and cathedral built by Generalísimo Franco. Franco, who was the fascist dictator of Spain from 1939 – 1975 is buried in the Valley of the Fallen church. 40,000 others whose lives were lost fighting the Spanish Civil War are buried beneath the valley floor. His burial there is controversial and political rallies honoring Franco have now been banned.

Later, we drove to ancient Toledo where we spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the astoundingly preserved and stunning city. – It was the former capital of Spain until 1561.

Toledo is known as the “city of three cultures” where Christians, Muslims, and Jews coexisted for centuries.  It’s the home of El Greco, whose famous paintings can be seen at the Church of Santo Tomé. 

The city is located in the La Mancha region and Don Quixote and Sancho Panza statues were displayed everywhere along its winding streets and in the shops.

Enjoy the photo galleries below.

The city of Madrid

Click on the images below to view them full-size in a gallery.

The Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial

El Escorial is located about 28 miles north of Madrid and is an easy drive although we booked a bus tour for our side trips with a local guide and he was very knowledgeable.

The Valley of the Fallen

The Valley of the Fallen is about a 16-minute ride from El Escorial. The best way to get there is by bus or taxi.

The City of Toledo

You can take a high-speed train from Madrid to Toledo and get there in about 30 minutes. It is about 1 hour from Madrid by car. Taking a bus is much cheaper than a train and takes approximately 1 hour and a half.

Check out the top things to do in the area here.

Have you been to Madrid or do you plan to visit in the future? Please leave a comment below.