El Pardo Forest. Madrid also has its own Mediterranean forest, just 15 kilometers from the city. An oasis with olive groves, bathed in the sun, is a large garden (former hunting ground) that stretches wide in front of the royal palace from the 16th century. Madrid's Mediterranean forest is the best preserved forest of this type in the whole of Europe. This forest is located on Mount El Pardo. In the 15th century, Henry III of Castile fell in love with this area and turned it into his personal hunting ground. The palace located on this place was built by Charles V and served as a residence, but only during January, February and March.
The palace is a national heritage, open to the public and visitors. There are very interesting tapestries in many rooms inside the palace, designed by Goya, preserved to this day. This palace is not as monumental as other palaces in Madrid, but it is equally beautiful, simple on the outside and rich on the inside. Only when you visit the Mediterranean forest, you can see how rich the Spanish rulers were, and how much they primarily enjoyed their sunny state. Here are the "El Prado inns", surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation, perfect for a healthy stay in nature and spicy Spanish food.
It is a tradition for foreign diplomats to stay in the El Pardo Palace when visiting Spain. We recommend a visit to the Franciscan monastery which is located there, as well as a visit to the small palace, which was used for daily recreation by Spanish princes and princesses.
Author of the text:
Maja Glavaš, Bachelor with Honours in Communicology. Works in Tourism.
Contact: [email protected]; instagram: travel_europe1
