Aranjuez

Aranjuez Basics. Aranjuez lies 48 km south of Madrid, and is where the rivers Tagus and Jarama converge, leaving only the former. It is thus a surprisingly watery sort of place, a kind of oasis in the middle of dusty New Castile (in fact, if Madrid is successful in its bid to host the 2012 Olympics, canoeing and other aquatic events will be held in Aranjuez), and the royal parks attached to the palace were designed to take advantage of this liquid abundance and provide a cool refuge. It is a smallish town (pop. 40-something thousand), until recently having been a little too inaccessible to serve as a dormitory centre for Madrid.

Aranjuez Travel

Aranjuez Sights. The only real sights in Aranjuez are the Royal Palace and its gardens, but they are quite sufficient to make the visit worthwhile. There has been a royal residence of one sort or another since the times of the Catholic Monarchs, but the present palace was begun by Philip II in 1561, and actually feels quite a lot later. Its most interesting contents are the Porcelain Room, 1763-1765, decorated with Chinese-looking porcelain which was actually made in the Buen Retiro factory in Madrid, and the Hall of Mirrors. The gardens are what really sets Aranjuez apart though, from the formal, French-style Jardín de la Isla and Jardin del Parterre to the east of the palace to the enormous, informal Jardín del Principe, Prince's Garden, on the other side. The latter contains a lovely Barge Museum, with a number of historical royal and other craft, and the laughably named Casa del Labrador, Labourer's House, a small(-ish) palace which was originally a kind of hunting lodge - the billiards room is a reminder that this would have been where the Spanish aristocracy would have gathered when in a laddish mood.

Practical Aranjuez Travel

When to Go. Aranjuez's gardens are at their best in the spring and autumn, but it is quite a nice break even at the height of summer. Fiestas and Other Events. Aranjuez was the site of a key happening during the lead-up to the Spanish War of Independence (from the Napoleonic French), when a popular uprising brought about the downfall of the Machiavellian politician Manuel Godoy. This Motín de Aranjuez is now commemorated and reenacted in the town's fiestas during the first week of September, which also include the entertaining Descenso Pirata of the Tagus. The other event of note is an interesting Ancient Music Festival, held in May and June.

Eating and Drinking. The market gardens of Aranjuez produce excellent asparagus and a kind of large strawberry, fresón, which Spanish gourmands tend to insist is completely different from the fresa, ordinary strawberry. Take no notice, it is just a large strawberry, but when they are in season you can buy little boxes of them from street stalls. Aranjuez has a number of good Castilian restaurants, by no means cheap, but there is nothing else to spend money on in the town, so what the heck. Casa José and Casa Pablo are two names to reckon with. And although Aranjuez is not itself a wine-producing area, I, personally, would choose a wine from the D.O. Vinos de Madrid, a disperse region in the south of the province of Madrid which is currently producing some good quality brews.

Where to Stay. No need, really, with Madrid so close at hand, but if you prefer or circumstances demand, Aranjuez's best hotel is the NH Principe de la Paz, itself a former palace, which is always nice, isn't it? If you have wheels, an interesting alternative would be to spend the night in neighbouring Chinchón, the parador of which is a converted seventeenth-century convent.

Getting There. Aranjuez is well served by cercanias, the short-distance railway network, and is only a half-an-hour's ride from Madrid. When you arrive, you can get the bus in from the station, or it is a fifteen-minute walk down to the palace. Even though the visit to the palace and a basket of strawberries are thrown in, you would probably only want to get the antique Tren de la Fresa, Strawberry Train if you were visiting the town on a weekend and were taking kids with you.