The Felipe II Train, a trip to Madrid's Court of the Golden Age aboard a historic railway

• Ranking These are the 10 most beautiful towns in Europe (and one is Spanish)

• Getaway The tourist trains of Galicia: a different way to get to know the region in 11 thematic routes

He had up to

at the same time (from syphilis to swine flu or gout), four wives (he did not combine them),

(we must add another four bastards), a tremendous love of gardening and clocks and an unshakable Catholic faith that led him to order the construction of what is considered

We are talking about

the almighty king in whose dominions the sun never set, and about his great legacy, the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, built in honor of said martyr because, on the day of his name day (August 10) , the Spanish army defeated the French in the

. The year: 1557.

King and work are the protagonists

a tourist journey aboard historic wagons from the 40s of the 20th century that departs from the

and arrives at El Escorial, in the Sierra de Guadarrama, after 50 minutes.

During the journey, which runs through the landscapes of towns such as Pozuelo, Las Rozas, Las Matas,

characters from the Court of the monarch nicknamed

are making an appearance among the cars recounting their adventures during the Golden Age .

Felipe II welcomes the train at the Príncipe Pío station.

The king himself is one of them, but also his daughter Catalina Micaela;

, architect who finished the Monastery (started by Juan Bautista de Toledo);

, one of the few female artists who stood out in the Renaissance;

first mayor of

and all sorts of peasants, artisans and vassals, in period costume.

"Good morning, welcome to the Philip II Train.

, Catalina Micaela released to the travelers.

Two actresses characterized by time in front of the Monastery.

These are visited by the characters accommodated in the four cars of the

that make up the train, divided into apartments of eight people upholstered in green with ashtrays and everything, relics of other times.

They began to be used

, when the

saw their car parks diminished, necessitating new ones.

Interior of one of the train compartments.

For most passengers it is "

, to the years when going from Madrid to Segovia took hours", says Alberto Rodríguez, traveler in car 4, who has booked the trip for the whole family. including children, grandchildren, wife, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law.

The wagons are captained by a

2,180-horsepower

capable of running at 120 km / h.

The responsible company is Alsa, which has partnered for this experience of a tourist train with other entities such as the Spanish Railways Foundation,

the Community of Madrid and the municipalities of El Escorial and San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

View of the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial SHUTTERSTOCK

There are

: Imperial (from 22.5 euros), Legends (from 18.75 euros) and Journey (from 15 euros), depending on the type of visit you want to make once in the mountains.

It can be guided or free

or dramatized on board a panoramic bus first and then walking through the

(designed to house Carlos IV), the palace gardens and the town of San Lorenzo itself.

Two moments of the experience at the station.

The Monastery, of course, is the epicenter of the routes.

Considered a jewel of

,

It measures almost 34,000 m2 and includes inside the royal palace, basilica, library, school and pantheon, as well as

, 1,250 doors, 89 staircases, 88 fountains, 16 patios and 1,600 paintings (signed by

among other authors).

Moment of the theatrical visit outside the Monastery.

"Despite its large dimensions, the Court soon became too small, so they asked me to add

for their palace things," says a character Juan de Herrera in the first person, right in front of the building in the 3,000 people worked for 21 years, from 1563 to 1584. "Hence the saying of

but don't believe it, we did it quite quickly at that time," he adds the expert, dressed from top to bottom like a 16th century gentleman, starting with the

that enormous ruffle that adorned the neck and cuffs at the time. He turns around, gazes proudly at his creation, and walks over to her.

Felipe II train.

Departures from the Madrid station of Príncipe Pío and return from El Escorial.

Check schedules, packages and prices on their website.

You can follow

on

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• sightseeing

• Spain

• Madrid

• Architecture

• art

GetawayCuéllar: why this medieval town among pine forests is one of the most beautiful towns in Segovia

Well-beingGoya is resurrected in this 'hammam' in Madrid, one of the most beautiful Arab baths in Spain

LeisureMadrid: five plans with children to squeeze the bridge between rhinos, zip lines and ... the Eiffel Tower

See links of interest

• The Palm

• Last News

• What

• 2022 business calendar

• Christmas Lottery 2021

• Search Christmas lottery number

• Check Christmas Lottery

• Covid passport

• Holidays 2021

• Loteria del Niño 2022

• How to claim insurance damages

• Black friday

• Feliciano López - Roberto Quiroz, live

• Pablo Carreño - Emilio Gómez, live

• North Macedonia-Spain, live

• Granollers / López - Escobar / Hidalgo, live

• VfB Stuttgart - 1. FSV Mainz 05