Just over 100 km from Madrid (that is, a 72-minute drive) is Rascafría, a place with many points of interest in terms of historical heritage (such as the Parish Church of San Andrés Apóstol or the Old Paper Mill). de los Batanes), there is also a great natural heritage. And it is here that they converge numerous trails and routes for lovers of long walks.
Located in the Lozoya Valley, In the Sierra Norte de Madrid, Rascafría is the heart of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, the ideal place for nature and hiking lovers. It is a small mountain village crossed by a mountain stream, the Artiñuelo. At the foot of the Peñalara massif, the highest peak in Madrid (perfect for making a route).
In addition, it has an idyllic and charming setting at any time of the year known as the finnish forest. And it is that, in the 80s, Rascafría was twinned with Helsinki. This event gave rise to the creation of an artificial landscape, very far from the autochthonous, where firs, yews, poplars, birches, holly trees and other species typical of Scandinavian forests predominate.
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A lake, the jetty and a wooden shed, which used to be a sauna, give the whole a very Nordic touch. In short, a route with the aspect of a story, ideal to do with children.
founded in the Middle Ages by Segovian settlers It remained linked to Segovia until 1833, livestock and the extraction and processing of wood from its important forests have been its main source of wealth throughout its history.
The monastery of Santa María de El Paular is another of its main attractions, declared Well of Cultural Interest. Its origin dates back to 1390, when the Royal House of Trastámara founded the first Cartuja de Castilla. Different styles converge in it: Gothic with Mudejar reminiscences, Renaissance and Baroque.
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You can’t miss the Town Hall either, neomudejar stylewhich was built at the beginning of the last century and rehabilitated in 1984. In addition, it is located in the Plaza de la Villa and very close to here we can find the monumental Parroquia de San Andrés Apóstol.
This 15th-century building preserves some Gothic vaults and a 16th-century coffered ceiling in its central nave. During the civil war, its spire was hit by a shell and the bells also disappeared during the war. Although, perhaps, the most curious fact is that the new bells were made from the metal of two planes that crashed in the mid-20th century.
Cover photo | @rascafria.org
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