Atracciones & Actividades en El Escorial

Actividades, atracciones y tours

Visita El Escorial

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Guía de viaje de El Escorial

August 15th every year. FIreworks are launched at midnight as a closing ceremony of the San Lorenzo festivities, which take place the week before that last day. Everybody stands at the big open area next to the Royal Palace and Monastery, while the show begins, by the rythm of music. It is a great and exiting entertainment, located in a beautiful place! Must watch ;) #lifeatexpedia #fireworks #lights #novembercontest #elescorial

El Escorial was built by King Philip II in the late 16th century to serve as both a royal palace and as the seat of the Catholic Church in Spain. In addition to the palace the complex includes a basilica, a convent, a school, a library, and a pantheon.

While El Escorial is impressive from the outside, we actually found it a little austere on the inside. In many ways it felt more like a fine art museum than a typically elaborate European palace (such as Versailles). That said, there are some impressive sights, including works by El Greco, Bernini, and Giardini. The library was also quite beautiful, with richly carved wood shelves, a marble floor, and a colorful fresco ceiling by Pellegrino Tibaldi.

For me, the highlight of the tour was the 180ft long (55m) Hall of Battles – a barrel-vaulted room where the walls were completely covered in frescos depicting Spain's military victories over the Moors and the French. All aspects of the battle field were portrayed (when you have 180ft, that is quite doable), and the artist employed an interesting trick whereby the more distant, smaller scenes were less saturated, and the background mountains and landscape were set in hues of blue.

Overall I'd say El Escorial is worth a visit, but you probably won't need more than a couple of hours to enjoy it.

This is the Courtyard of the Kings and the entrance to the Basilica. By European standards we found the Basilica a bit boring. The two highlights were a gorgeous life-size white marble sculpture of Christ on the cross by Cellini (originally meant for the sculptor’s own tomb) and the Giordano ceilings, which he frescoed when he was his late 50s.

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Sitios más populares para visitar

Iglesia de San Bernabé

Una vez que visites Iglesia de San Bernabé, guarda tiempo para conocer más atracciones de El Escorial. Cuando estés la zona, recuerda hacer algo de tiempo para contemplar sus templos.

Residencia Casita del Príncipe

Pasa un día observando las exhibiciones en Residencia Casita del Príncipe cuando visites El Escorial. Cuando estés la zona, recuerda hacer algo de tiempo para contemplar sus templos.

Zonas de El Escorial

Peralejo

Muchos eligen Peralejo por sus cafeterías y sus casinos. Aunque la zona no cuenta con muchas atracciones, puedes ir a Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial o Mirador La Silla de Felipe II, que están en los alrededores.

Navalquejigo

Cuando vayas a Navalquejigo, aprovecha para visitar Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial y Residencia Casita del Príncipe, algunos de los lugares más destacados en los alrededores.

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