Madrid is a great city for many reasons – the culture, the nightlife, the food and much more. But it also benefits from being the direct center of Spain (as the 0km point in Puerta del Sol points out). In addition to the many weekend trips you can take, there are also some great day trips. The most famous is Segovia, which fellow blogger Maddie visited earlier in the semester. But because I had brunch plans in the morning I decided to visit the closer Aranjuez with a friend on Saturday afternoon.

Aranjuez is part of the Community of Madrid, but south of Madrid city. It was founded in the 16th century by Felipe II and is most famous for the Royal Palace and surrounding gardens. It is about 40 mins on the cercanías trains, which are included in our monthly transportation pass. From the station the palace is about a 10 minute walk.

They didn’t allow photos at the Palace, but I was still able to snap a photo in the entry hall with my very stylish audio guide. Trust me though, it’s totally worth it. The building itself is from the 1500s, but the interior is mostly from the 18th and 19th century. Every room is a little different and beautiful in its own way. My personal favorites were the Porcelain Room and the Smoking Room, an octagonal room covered in Moroccan mosaics.

The gardens outside are perfect for a stroll amongst the fountains and peacocks. And because it was a weekend and they day still had a long way to go, they were the perfect place to enjoy a café con leche before returning to Madrid.