Renaissance buildings, courtyards, lush forests, and fountains – the palace at San Lorenzo de El Escorial is the most important architectural monument of the Spanish Renaissance. A visit here feels a lot like stepping back in time.
This admission ticket includes an exclusive digital PDF guide to royal sites in and around Madrid. It will help you get your bearings and facts in the area.
The history of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is linked to the construction of the monastery, dated 1558. The town grew around it, sloping unstoppably on Madrid's mountains thanks to the abundance of forests, quarries, and game reserves. The addition of a prestigious address right in the heart of Spain helped too!
Check out the monastery, bejeweled with works by some of the most outstanding artists of the time. Step into the atmospheric Pantheon of Kings, home to the tombs of Spain's kings from the last 500 years. Lay your eyes on 15th and 16th-century manuscripts in the Royal Library, and refresh yourself with a drink in the shady Plaza de la Cruz, one of the cozier corners of this historical center.
Hungry? Some of the restaurants, bars, and cafés offer a real Renaissance fare. Tuck into potato omelet and sausages, or why not try some snails?
Agriculture, fishing, and hunting were popular activities at San Lorenzo de El Escorial once, and the giant, 18th-century sequoias are a true testament to the majesty of Mother Earth. Today, you can appreciate them as the locals would have five centuries ago.
