Aranjuez

Aranjuez www.aranjuez.ws is a municipality (pop ~47,000) at the confluence of the Tagus and Jarama rivers. It is about 50 km south of Madrid in Spain.

It's possible to take a train from Madrid's Atocha or Chamartin stations to Aranjuez. Rides take roughly 45 min and 55 min from Atocha and Chamartin respectively. From Atocha RENFE, take C-3 line to Aranjuez.

• Royal Palace of Aranjuez en.wikipedia.org: It dates from the 18th century. Some of the famous rooms are The Porcelain Study, Throne Room. It is surrounded by great gardens. One of the exterior facades of the Palace: www.patrimonionacional.es, the Gardens surrounding the Palace www.patrimonionacional.es

The strawberries of Aranjuez are famous throughout Spain. There are some excellent restaurants serving the local specialty, artichokes.

• NH Principe de la Paz, C/ San Antonio, 22, +34 91.8099222 www.nh-hotels.com. This hotel, which is situated in the old part of the town centre facing the south side of the Royal Palace, occupies an emblematic building dating from the 18th and 19th Century destined to be the residential palace of King Carlos IV's favourite, Sir Manuel Godoy.

• Madrid
• Toledo
• El Escorial
• Alcalá de Henares
• Segovia