The town becomes part of the network of The Most Beautiful Towns in Spain from 2021
The good conservation of the heritage, the harmony of the municipality, the cleanliness, the circulation of vehicles, the care of the natural environment, the programmed cultural activity or the attention to the traditions are some of the criteria that make
Nuevo Baztán the newest town nice from Spain
.
As of January 1, 2021, the beautiful Madrid town will be part of the network of the Most Beautiful Towns in Spain, an association that watches over the heritage of our country and includes a hundred charming municipalities.
Located in the southeast of the Community, 50 km from Madrid,
the town was founded in the 18th century by the Navarrese Juan de Goyeneche
, who opted for this place in the Cuenca del Henares region to establish an urban settlement around some of the most advanced industrial complexes of its time, in which glass and fabrics were manufactured.
Goyeneche, who named the town after the Navarran city of Baztán, where it came from, commissioned the architect José de Churriguera to design it,
in the Baroque style of the France of Louis XIV
.
From there derive some of the most charming corners of the municipality.
But not only that is worth a visit, we propose four reasons to discover and enjoy Nuevo Baztán.
1. Historic Center
Cobbled streets, old houses, fountains, gardens, churches and palaces are part of a beautiful old town that bears the titles of Artistic Monument and Asset of Cultural Interest.
The jewels of the place are the
Goyeneche Palace
and the attached
Church of San Francisco Javier
.
The palace, built between 1709 and 1713 in the Baroque style, is characterized by its sobriety.
Only the tower that flanks it has an ornamental motif, such as the relief of a lion, which holds in its jaws a checkered board, alluding to the heraldic shield of the Baztán Valley (Navarra), located on the baquetón of the cover.
The interior is distributed around a rectangular patio, with a well in its central part.
San Fancisco on the main entrance of the Church of San Francisco.
The Church of San Francisco occupies the south wing of the Palace and stands out for its two towers finished in spiers and interior decoration, especially the altarpiece of the main altar, the work of Churriguera himself, made for the most part in red marble.
A visit to Nuevo Baztán would not be complete without visiting its squares, especially the three that surround the Palace-Church complex.
The Plaza de la Iglesia
, also called Plaza del Jardín or Plaza Mayor, is the one in front of the main façade and in its center is the Fountain of the Tritons.
The
Plaza de las Fiestas
, or Plaza de Toros, where bullfighting festivities, plays and concerts were held in Goyeneche's time, is at the back of the complex and is delimited by the Trade Houses and their wonderful arched balconies.
Today it is once again a meeting point for the locals.
The picturesque
Plaza del Mercado
, or the Secret, is another of the most beautiful and popular places in town.
2. Interpretation Center
Inaugurated in 2003, the Nuevo Baztán Interpretation Center is
installed in the old Bodegas del Palacio de Goyeneche.
It explains who Juan de Goyeneche and the architect José de Churriguera were, the historical context in which they founded the city and what were the industries that led this small town to its peak in the 8th century: glass, cloth, paper and soap.
Three models show visitors the evolution of the territory, the urban complex and the palace and a total of 35 jars around the perimeter of the Center, from the winery, are part of the permanent exhibition
From Bodega a Centro de Interpretación 2003-2013
, which shows the trade of the local tinajero and the alcohol industries that were established there in the 18th century.
Stables of the Goyeneche Palace.
Models, explanatory panels and reproductions of industrial objects transport the visitor to the past of Nuevo Baztán.
Access to the Center is free.
The town council
organizes guided tours of about two hours through the historic center every Saturday
(at 11.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m.), Sundays and holidays (11.30 a.m.), which include visits to the Interpretation Center, the exhibition halls from the Palace, to the Church with the sacristy, to the set of squares and to the town center (ticket, 3 euros; more information at www.turismo.ayto-nuevobaztan.es).
3. Natural Environment
Nestled in Madrid's Alcarria, the environment that surrounds Nuevo Baztán is an attraction for hikers.
The Senda de Valmores leaves the town
, a signposted route that partly follows the course of the Vega stream, which flows into the Tajuña.
The route is circular and has a maximum of 7 km of low difficulty (it is possible to modify it by shortening it until the confluence of the stream and the road to Olmeda de las Fuentes) and runs through lands of wide moors or alcarrias, oak forests and gall oaks (from the best preserved in the Community of Madrid) and the banks of the Vega stream.
If you are lucky, you will see a fox, roe deer, wild boar or dormouse, as well as a harrier, owl or peregrine falcon.
Street in Nuevo Baztán.
4. Gastronomy
The roasts and lamb chops are the most representative dishes of the Castilian gastronomy of Nuevo Baztán, accompanied with vegetables from the vegas of the area and washed down with the local wine,
V de Valmores
, with several awards behind it.
And you can't leave without trying some of their typical sweets, such as
repápalos
, made with wine and cinnamon.
To try local food we recommend
the Taberna de la Olmeda
(Calle del Palacio, 1. Telf .: 918 73 43 92), a cozy family restaurant with home cooking (there is no need for a cup of hot broth as soon as you sit at the table) located in front of the Goyeneche Palace.
They have a weekend menu (20 euros).
To have rations and tapas,
Bar Restaurant Aries
(Travesía José de Churriguera, 10. Tel .: 918 73 58 79).
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more
The 8 most beautiful towns in Madrid that are not confined to go on the bridge
Getaway Madeira, the best islands in the world
12 incredible nativity scenes in Spain that you should visit this Christmas
See links of interest
Check Lottery
Casademont Zaragoza - TD Systems Baskonia
Coosur Real Betis - Urbas Fuenlabrada
Liverpool - West Bromwich Albion
Valencia Basket - Acunsa Gipuzkoa Basket
RETAbet Bilbao Basket - Unicaja