There is only one thing we Madrileños like more than Madrid. And that something is escape from here when we have the opportunity. The truth is that you don’t have to go far to find villages just an hour from Madrid with a richness, culture and beauty that are well worth a visit.
1. Brihuega
Brihuega is a town dyed purple at least once a year thanks to the more than a thousand hectares that fill their fields of this color with the flowering of lavender. This municipality in the region of La Alcarria, in Guadalajara, has little to envy to the French Provence. In addition to attracting hundreds of people to its facilities every July, it also Lavender Festival it has a castle and interesting Romanesque civil architecture.
98 km from Madrid city center.
2. Sigüenza
Sigüenza has barely five thousand inhabitants, but can boast the title of city. Its history is dense and can be traced back to the Celtiberian settlements. But before reaching the present day, it would be necessary to stop before in elements such as its cathedral, the church of Santiago, the parador or even the quality of its gastronomy.
143 km from Madrid city center.
3. La Hiruela
If there is one reason why La Hiruela is known among the people of Madrid, it is because of its proximity to Montejo beech forest one of the most spectacular beech forests in Spain. A small town, like Patones de Arriba the building is part of what is known as black architecture. Its slate houses, cobblestone floors and (few) cobblestone streets make it one of the most beautiful bucolic villages in the Madrid region.
104 km from Madrid city center.
4. Hita
The town that gives its name to the most famous archpriest of Spanish literature. Hita is a small village almost in the province of Alcarria with a peculiar charm justified by its medieval character. It highlights what remains of a wall of the fifteenth century that once surrounded its historic center. There are also about ten cellars excavated in the subsoil.
92 km from Madrid city center.
5. Pedraza
One of the towns 100 km from Madrid to visit is Pedraza. This is one of the best preserved medieval villages in Spain. During the XVI and XVII centuries it lived an economic splendor, since it was one of the places from where Segovian wool was exported to the rest of Europe. That is why there is so much to visit in this town of 300 inhabitants. Renaissance palaces, a castle and walls of the eleventh century, a prison of the same era that is also one of the entrances to the town and a main square that has been the scene of numerous series and even a film by Orson Well in 1955: Mister Arcadin.
130 km from Madrid city center.
6. Tembleque
The Plaza Mayor of Tembleque, in the shape of a playhouse, is an emblem of the popular baroque of the 17th century. It was declared a National Historic-Artistic Monument in 1973 and also serves as a bullring. In fact, in 1653 King Philip IV inaugurated the bullring with a bullfight. This town an hour from Madrid also has another icon of La Mancha, the windmills, even part of the route of Don Quixote de la Mancha. As if this were not enough, it has a baroque palace and an octagonal library, which was formerly a chapel, worth visiting.
94 km from Madrid city center.
7. Belmonte
Walking through the cobblestone streets of Belmonte must be the closest thing to being transported back to the Middle Ages. It is precisely this medieval aura that has taken this municipality of Cuenca, cradle of several historical characters, also to the big screen. One of the elements that contribute to its charm is its Gothic-Mudejar castle, built in the 15th century, which is one of the best preserved in the province. Considered a Villa of Tourist Interest for more than 50 years, it is home to other architectural landmarks such as the Collegiate Church of San Bartolomé, in Gothic style, or several palaces such as that of Infante Juan Manuel, the oldest building in the town.
154 km from Madrid city center.
8. Turégano
Turégano is one of the bucolic and at the same time very Castilian villages that you have to visit on your way to the Duratón River Sickles. The first thing that stands out is the castle, which was originally a fortified church, as it was built in the twelfth century, in the middle of the reconquest, and battles were common in the Zone. Turégano also has an old Jewish quarter, which had notable social, economic and religious importance in the 14th and 15th centuries.
126 km from Madrid.
9. Buitrago del Lozoya
At the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama and surrounded by the river from which it gets its name, is Buitrago del Lozoya. Its proximity to Madrid makes it a perfect choice for an express getaway. Its Historic-Artistic Suite has been considered a Site of Cultural Interest since 1993. The village is fortified with a walled enclosure of Muslim origin that received in 1931 the qualification of National Monument. It is, in fact , the best preserved and the only one in the Community of Madrid that is complete. Also in the municipality you can participate in other activities such as a visit to its Gothic-Mudejar castle, the church of Santa Maria del Castillo or its Picasso museum. Regarding the latter, it is worth mentioning his relationship with the painter, of whom several works are preserved, which were a gift from him to his barber, originally from Buitrago.
82 km from Madrid city center.
10. Medinaceli
Presiding over the Jalón Valley, in the province of Soria, at an altitude of more than 1200 meters, is Medinaceli. History has left its mark on this town, which has managed to freeze the essence of very different eras and civilizations, from the Celts and the Romans to the Arabs and the Christians. The first of its remarkable monuments is the 1st century Roman Arch that welcomes visitors at the ticket to the village, the only one with three arches that can be found in Spain. However, this architectural treasure is only the beginning of what Medinaceli has to offer. A ducal palace, a medieval castle, a Moorish gate and a wall are just some of the must-see stops on a visit to this Historic-Artistic Suite.
168 km from Madrid city center.
These villages 100 km from Madrid are the perfect excuse to get out of the city for a day and do some rural tourism, or even take advantage of the opportunity to do some hiking route close.
This article has been written by Alberto del Castillo, Selene García Torreiro, and Elena Francés.