Day Trip to Aranjuez

1. The reason to go to Aranjuez is to see the Palacio Real de Aranjuez, one of Spain's most beautiful palaces. Aranjuez is 47 km away from Madrid.

2. The Palacio Real de Aranjuez hours:

October to March: 10:00 to 17:15H (Mondays closed)

April to September: 10:00 to 18:15H (Mondays closed)

The website is: http://www.patrimonionacional.es/aran...

3. The Atocha to Aranjuez Cercanias C3 train takes 44 min. The trains run about every 15 minutes from 05:34H to midnight. The round trip ticket costs 10€.

The website is:

http://www.renfe.es/cercanias/madrid/...

4. The Renfe train station in Aranjuez is 0.8 km away from the Palacio Real de Aranjuez and takes 10 minutes to get there.

5. You can get a map from Google Maps using:

A. Avenida Palacio S/N, 28300 Aranjuez, Spain (Palacio Real De Aranjuez)

B. Calle de la Estación, 28300, Aranjuez

Specify walking.

Description of the Palace:

The royal palace of Aranjuez was first constructed in a small scale during the time of Felipe II. He would spend the spring in this little town because the temperature was very mild and it was a beautiful place. During the reign of Felipe V, the present palace was finished. The palace is beside the Tajo River and the river has been used to supply the many beautiful fountains in the marvelous gardens surrounding the palace. The palace started with the Renaissance style, but many transformations during the years now give it a neoclassic look. The palace is enormous, with various wings and huge plazas within the palace. One can easily get lost here.

One can get the self guided tour to avoid the crowds and go at one’s own pace. The main staircase is very impressive, using a double staircase that uses the late baroque style of northern Italy. There are very ornate wrought iron guard rails along the staircases. There is a huge crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, which is painted with allegorical murals.

The many salons had ceilings about 20 feet high, and all of the ceilings have the

allegorical paintings and murals. The borders between the walls of the salons and the ceilings have very elaborate stucco designs with gold leaf. Every salon had a different look, with beautiful wallpaper and drapes (these were new). The furniture used had low chairs, apparently to make it easy for the ladies to sit and stand up when they had their elaborate skirts on. The walls are lined with paintings from all the European schools. The fireplaces were made of beautiful marble. Every room had one or two beautiful Venetian crystal chandeliers. The carpets are original and have very elaborate designs. There are many large mirrors lining the walls, and the mirrors are of the French design with frames using gold leaf.

The most beautiful room is the Arabic Room. The room is large, using an octagonal shape. The walls are lined with ceramic tile in geometric forms. The ceiling is very impressive, because it has the beehive form, in gold. The Arabian style room has much color, and the effect is really stunning. There are red sofas along the wall and in the middle of the room is a beautiful octagonal table inlaid with semiprecious stones and precious woods and gold. The entrances to this room have arches with simulated stalactites.

There is also a stunning Porcelain Room, where the walls and ceiling of the room are decorated with ceramics in the Chinese style, depicting Chinese people, birds, flowers, and plants. The floor of the room has an intricate design of white, black, green and red marble. There are chairs lining the walls which also have Chinese motifs. The result is a very beautiful and colorful room. There are rooms where the uniforms of the kings and princes are displayed. They also have dresses used by the queens, as well as long robes used in state occasions.

The formal gardens are very extensive and it is a pleasure to promenade in these gardens. There are many fountains with beautiful marble statues. One can see the river running along the edges of the gardens, giving a very soothing sound.

In conclusion, this palace is one of the most beautiful and impressive palaces in Spain. It comes with the original furniture, so one has a complete idea of how the kings and queens lived. The front of the palace is set off with a huge plaza and there are no buildings near it, so it really stands out with its gardens.