Aranjuez

Founded where the Tagus and Jarama rivers meet, Aranjuez was for centuries the spring quarters of the Hapsburg and Bourbon kings. Felipe V, the first of the Bourbon line, decided to transform the impressive Royal Palace, first built by Hapsburg's Felipe II in 1561, to meet the French aesthetic requirements of his time, and gave a boost to the construction of the impressive gardens and parks that surround the palace. Prohibiting people from settling near his lands (a prohibition perpetuated by other monarchs), Felipe II helped make Aranjuez a privileged green royal oasis praised by travelers visiting the court.

The Aranjuez of today is a medium-size town that still retains the splendor of its palace, gardens, and sotos—magnificent avenues in the northern part of the city with groves of trees—elms, ash trees, poplars, linden, and oaks. Try to visit Aranjuez in the spring or fall, when nature is showing off its brightest colors. To see the quiet town liven up, visit in May or June, when the first of two local festivals celebrates ancient music with an array of concerts in the royal gardens. All concerts are performed from their respective periods with the original instruments used to create each style of music. In spring and summer you can find street vendors selling strawberries with whipped cream by the riverbank near the palace—you can also get them at the city's food market, a restored building across from city hall.