A royal palace, a basilicia, a pantheon, a library, a school, and of course, a monastery. With this ticket to the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, you'll discover a unique site in the Sierra de Guadarrama.
Why Visit the Monastery in El Escorial?
In 1557, the Spanish troops defeated the French in the Battle of Saint-Quentin. In 1561, the king of Spain Philip II made the capital of the Spanish Kingdom the villa of Madrid. Due to these two events, between 1564 and 1584, the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial was built by order of the monarch.
This Renassaince complex of the Sierra de Guadarrama (Guadarrama Mountains), located at the feet of Mount Abantos, is declared a World Heritage Site for its exceptional historical, architectural, artistic, and bibliographic value.
With a ticket to the monastery in El Escorial, you'll visit at your own pace the different areas of this stunning complex. In the royal dependencies, you'll discover the Palace of the Austrians. Within this palace lies the Hall of Battles, a spectacular gallery adorned with fresco paintings that recreate the battles in which the Spanish monarchy emerged victorious.
In the area of the Palace of the Bourbons, you'll admire the ornamented furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries, along with magnificent tapestries from the Royal Factory of Tapestries of St. Barbara. However, El Escorial is more than just a royal palace.
The monastery is also home to the Royal Library, where up to 40000 volumes are kept, and the pantheons of kings and infants, which house the mortal remains of many of the monarchs who have reigned in Spain.
The heart of the entire complex is the Basilica of El Escorial. From here, you can access the Salas Capitulares (Chapter Rooms), the Sacristy, the main cloister, and the Patio de los Evangelistas, all of which are well worth visiting.
Ticket Types
During the booking process, you can choose one of the following types of tickets:
- Standard ticket: this option applies for adults who cannot benefit from any type of discount.
- Reduced-price ticket: this ticket applies for children aged 5-16, seniors over 65, and students up to 25. To use it, you'll need to show the corresponding supporting documentation.
- Free entry: valid for people who are unemployed, have a disability, members of a large family, and children under 5. You'll also need to show the corresponding documentation.
Please note that these rates are higher than the box office prices, as they include administrative fees (€ 4 (US$ 4.52) per person), which will guarantee you a spot and avoid the need to wait in line.
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