Air-conditioned coach
Lunch
De excursie El Escorial en de Vallei der gevallenen was uitstekend met gids Christina (geloof ik). Zij sprak uitstekend Engels. De excursie naar Toledo was met mannelijke gids. De excursie zelf was mooi, de gids was slecht te verstaan, dat hoorde ik ook van de andere Engels-sprekende mensen
Combine 2 half-day tours and visit both the Royal Monastery of El Escorial, an architectural ensemble declared a World Heritage Site, and the Valley of the Fallen, a basilica that stands out for its gigantic size, before leaving to discover Toledo.
You will start with a visit at El Escorial, symbol of the Spanish power in the XVI century that commemorates the battle of St. Quentin. It is also a mausoleum for Charles V. Due to the symmetry and balance of its construction, according to the humanist Renaissance style, it had been considered for years the eighth wonder of the world. The visit includes the Habsburg Palace, the Kings and Princes Mausoleum, the Chapter House and the Basilica.
The experience will then continue to the basilica of The Valley of the Fallen. This enormous monument was built between 1940 and 1959 to honour the fallen during the Spanish Civil War. The basilica is carved into the mountain at 1350 metres of altitude, where an impressive 150 metres high cross places itself over the magnificent landscape of Madrid’s mountain range.
In the afternoon, you will depart to Toledo, a beautiful city-museum which has also been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is one of the oldest towns in Europe and has great artistic beauty and buildings from almost all periods in history (Arabian, Gothic, Mudéjar, Renaissance and Baroque style). In the XVI century, it was also home to the great painter El Greco.
