Another amazing castle in Spain!…read more Beautiful and great views of the small town of Avila! Was not busy and weather was great You get to walk up along from tower to tower which is awesome to do!

The birthday gift that just kept gifting: 1.5 miles of wall, 88 semicircular towers, 9 gates, 10…read morefeet thick and 39 feet tall, basically an Iron Man suit for an entire city. Built starting 1090 and reiterated through the 14th century. Don't forget the Roman foundation stones for additional stability. It's said to be the best preserved medieval city walls in the world. Remarkable!

Segovia is a fun town and besides the aqueduct this place is another site to visit because it's a…read morecastle! So much art and architecture to admire It's beautiful and it's always a trip to take a trip down history past!

We enjoyed the Alcázar very much. It wasn't too crowded and we could linger at the displays and not…read morefeel rushed. There are several different levels of tours with some including audio.

There are so many places worth a day trip from Madrid and this is one of them. In wanting to find a…read moreplace that could be a longer half day trip (but not more than this due to the short duration of my trip), this monastery appealed to me in that the commute time via public transportation is about an hour from Madrid Chamartin, or only about a 40 min drive (€40 rideshare price) from the western edge of Madrid city center. Certainly you could take more time around town and make this a full day trip in addition to visiting the Valle de los Caídos (the Valley of the Fallen) monument, there are a number of bus tours that run this exact itinerary. Departing from Madrid Chamartin the Cercanius C8 line arrives at El Escorial station, from which it's about a 25 minute walk or 15 min bus ride to the monastery which is the major tourist destination in town. The town itself is quaint and nice to take a stroll around to get a feel of a suburban downtown area. Tickets are available online and in-person by time slot and while in late September I didn't see times fully booked I imagine during peak tourist season you should book at least a few days in advance. Inside larger bags need to checked in lockers (€1 euro deposit for the lock mechanism function, returned upon unlocking the cubby), and then you follow signs indicating the direction of the tour starting from the main courtyard. Two highlights for me were a) the library with beautiful ceiling murals and filled with antique books, b) the elaborate pantheon crypt facility which are in current functional use as burial chambers for Spanish monarchy. I also appreciated that almost all the description placards were translated into English so there was a lot of information to learn. The grounds and gardens are very expansive and well maintained around the main complex so plenty of tourists and locals alike were enjoying a walk in the afternoon. Bathrooms are located within the building only after ticketed entry. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes within a 5-15 minute walking distance from the main entry/exit of the monastery where you can grab a snack, drink or meal.

El Escorial is also a must see if you're into learning and history, particularly, Spanish history…read moreand how it ties into the Philippines' history. After all, "if you know your historeee, then you will know where you're coming from, and you woudent haf to ask me, who da hell do you tink I am?" - Buffalo Soldier (Bob Marley and thee Wailahs) Ahem, back to this UNESCO site, it's about a one hour drive Northwest of Madrid. It was built in the 1500s and of course, there have been several modifications/additions/subtractions. It was originally built to commemorate victories against the French. It was also patterned after King Solomon's temple. I've been to and prayed at the Western Wall (Jerusalem) and coincidentally, you enter Escorial through the Western gate/door. It's a royal palace, a monastery, a basilica, a pantheon (burial site), a church, a library, a teaching institution, we could go on and on. It also has a garden but it doesn't come close to Palais de Versailles' sprawling gardens. I don't think Escorial's garden even eclipses the gardens of Chateaus Chenonceau or Amboise. But it's definitely a doable half-day trip to see this beautiful site. There's a great attention to detail and plenty to learn as you go from room to room. It's also the royal burial site for Spain's kings and queens, at least for the past five, yes 5 centuries. I was able to snap a pic of King Phillip II's tomb - The Philippines was named after him so I was sorta blown away. No pics are allowed here but I couldn't resist....shame on me.... Make sure you go on a guided tour or you won't make the best of your time. I liked that after the drive back to Madrid, it was a perfect time to have lunch and tapas.

Had a pleasant & very hot day together here at the valley of the fallen,…read moreThis place is very historical and the upside is that if you love history as much as we do you will definitely want to visit, the downside is.. a lot of walking.

My friend suggested this day trip from Madrid and it did not disappoint. Must go to the cathedral…read moreand marvel at how high the ceilings go - remember this is built in a freaking mountain so the engineering that needed to happen is beyond impressive. The cathedral itself had a very somber yet almost modern feel, probably due to the stone walls and floors. Probably the most memorable cathedral I have ever seen.

Here's something you don't see every day - it's a vertical garden. Not flat like the botanical…read moregardens nearby. This garden is a dramatic four-story (78 feet!) tall green wall near the CaixaForum building. Facing south, the garden gets near constant sunlight as it moves across the sky. And yes, it sure gets hot in Madrid. But you'll find yourself much cooler with a visit to the garden. Worth admiring the 250 different species of plants that survive and thrive without soil. It is an ever-changing, living piece of art. [Review 12542 overall, 2332 of 2019.]

The tight city streets give it a nice character. It almost feels like a North African city. Every…read morealley way seems to have a different surprise so it is worth just walking around for some time.

Alcázar de Toledo is an excellent museum and absolutely worth visiting. Entry was only 5 euros and…read morethey have a basic security check where selfie sticks and drones are not allowed. They also provide lockers to store your items which makes walking around much more comfortable. No one really spoke English during our visit, but everyone was very helpful and made the experience easy. All of the exhibits were interesting and well maintained, and there is even a listening tour available in both English and Spanish which helps you understand the history behind what you are seeing. The third floor is the highest point in Toledo and offers incredible views of the city. It is definitely a highlight of the visit and a great spot for pictures. Overall, I would recommend this museum if you are visiting Toledo and have about two hours to look around. It is a well curated and memorable experience.

Toledo's massive Alcázar, one of the city's most magnificent buildings, is an imposing citadel that…read moresits atop one of the city's most historic sites. The Romans built the first palace here in the 3rd Century, and its ancient foundations can been seen in the massive foyer of the military museum that now calls the Alcázar home. Those foundations, now displayed as part of one of the largest archeological excavations in Spain, are the most interesting part of the massive complex, much of which was reconstructed following the palace's destruction in the 1930s, after a two-month siege by Franco's Nationalist forces. The Alcázar's fascinating role in the Spanish Civil War (it's basically Spain's version of the Alamo) isn't given the attention it deserves in the present museum, which focuses on Spain's military history from the Visigoths to World War II. The exhibits are interesting (particularly the collection of medieval armor and swords), but they seem random and disconnected, and the lack of detail on the history of the palace itself feels like a missed opportunity. Worth maybe an hour of your time, unless you're a military history buff, in which case it's probably worth two.