Due to its proximity, Segovia is the favorite destination for people from Madrid looking to escape from the big city for the weekend (in addition to eating a wonderful suckling pig). However, if UNESCO declared its capital a World Heritage Site in 1985, it is because it is much more than that. The monumental complex and the ancient beauty of the entire province leaves no visitor indifferent. These five towns are proof and autumn also makes them especially beautiful.
The Thorn
Less than an hour from Madrid, located in the Sierra de Guadarrama, is the town of Castilla y León most visited by the people of Madrid according to a study of rural club. Plaza de la Corredera, with its 19th-century horse chestnut trees; the Church of San Eutropio; The Shearing Palace; The Convent of Santa Isabel or La Ermita del Cristo del Caloco invite us to discover the history of this town of cobbled streets.
In the surroundings of El Espinar we can get lost among waterfalls, bushes and moss, and walk along its simple routes hiking among Scots pines and oaks. Places like Peña La Casa and Las Barrancas y la Panera, two of the best-known and most visited natural settings in the area, are perfect for enjoying a haven of peace on a long walk.
little wood
Medieval town located on a long spur that borders the course of the Riaza River, at the eastern end of the Sierra de Pradales or Serrezuela. Of early foundation, that some authors date back to the s. Xduring the Reconquest it was part of the first line of defensive nuclei on the left bank of the Duero.
It preserves an important medieval heritage in which, of course, the Wall stands out; the Arco de la Villa (which still retains its locks and thick armored wooden doors from the 15th century); the Plaza de San Miguel or the Mudejar Church of Santa María del Castillo, which stands out for its size and for preserving manifestations of different styles, being the only Segovian temple with remains of the Caliphate style.
Royal Site of San Ildefonso
The Royal Site of San Ildefonso, better known as La Granja, is the Segovian town where there is a royal palace that looks like a mini Versailles. This place, in and of itself, justifies a visit to the entire town. Declared Monumental Historic Complexis one of the best examples of the monarchical splendor of the 18th century.
Felipe V, the first Bourbon to reign in Spain, fell in love with this beautiful place back in 1717. Such was his “flash” that he decided to build a palace and gardens adorned with sculptures and fountains there. to remind him of his childhood at the French court of his grandfather Louis XIV. The Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso was his great personal work because he felt that he had found the ideal place to retire from the world…
stone
Those looking for a small medieval walled town to discover corners of great beauty strollingPedraza is the place to be. Visitors can see numerous palaces and noble houses with coats of arms dating back to the 16th century and which are superbly preserved. There are also several vestiges of its defensive part from the 12th and 13th centuries, such as the wall, the Puerta de la Villa, the barbican defense (which was later used as a public prison) or the castle, among others.
Currently, this town only has about 125 neighborswho live from tourism, so there are numerous grills, decoration shops, rustic furniture, crafts, tins, bakeries, chocolates, soaps…
Ayllón
Between the club of towns less than two hours from Madrid we find ourselves in Ayllón, a haven of peace in Segovia with 1,200 inhabitants in which there are everything from Celtiberian remains to a Romanesque church from the 12th century. Another essential visit is Los Paredones, the remains of the Arab wall at the top of the hill. The medieval town of Ayllón, declared a Historic-Artistic Site in 1973, It is perfect both to escape from a heat wave and sleep with a blanket in summer and enjoy the colorful landscape that the native vegetation gives it in autumn.
And it is that Ayllón is part of the so-called red, yellow and black towns of Segovia (which group together villages such as Villacorta, Serracín, Madriguera or El Negredo) and which owe their name, in addition to the appearance of their vegetation in autumn, to the striking colors of the stones with which they are built.
Cover photo | Segovia Tourism
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