From Madrid to Escorial Monastery (by bus or rented transport)

What to expect

Palace for God and shack for the king
The architectural complex includes a monastery with a royal palace and a dynastic pantheon where the remains of nearly all the kings of Spain, starting from Charles V, rest. The huge cathedral occupies a central place here. In it, you will not only learn about the history of the Spanish kingdom but also see a collection of works by famous painters such as El Greco, Titian, Zurbaran, Ribera, Tintoretto.

Spanish treasures
We will visit the royal palace, which houses two large museums. One of them presents the history of the construction of Escorial. The second contains paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries, ranging from Bosch to Veronese, Tintoretto and Van Dyck. You will also see world maps made in those times.

Library
We will pay special attention to the royal library, which in size is second only to the Vatican's. It houses over 40,000 books and about 3,000 manuscripts. The library room itself differs so much from the structures we are used to that it is even more fascinating!

And a lot of beauty
After touring the monastery, we will go out to the courtyard square and, walking a little further, enter the royal gardens. Before us will open a charming panorama of Madrid against the backdrop of fields and mountains. Believe me, it is impossible to remain indifferent to these landscapes!