Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, Segovia, Spain

The Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso is often called the “Spanish Versailles,” and with reason. Set in the cool, pine-clad hills below the Sierra de Guadarrama near Segovia, this graceful Baroque palace was built from 1721 for King Philip V, the first Bourbon king of Spain and a grandson of Louis XIV, who consciously modelled his summer residence and its gardens on his grandfather’s great palace in France. Around the palace spread some of the finest formal gardens in Spain, laid out by French designers with terraces, tree-lined avenues, statues and, above all, a spectacular series of fountains fed entirely by gravity from a mountain reservoir. Philip V loved the place so much that he chose to be buried here, rather than in the royal pantheon of the Escorial.

What to See

Inside, the palace is richly decorated in the style of the 18th-century Bourbon court, with rooms of Carrara marble, crystal chandeliers from the royal glass factory founded nearby, Japanese lacquer, frescoed ceilings and a celebrated collection of Flemish tapestries shown in a dedicated museum. But the true glory of La Granja is its gardens and fountains. Grand allegorical fountains — among them the towering jet of the Fama (Fame) fountain, which can shoot water more than 30 metres into the air — are set among the parterres and woods, still worked by their original 18th-century hydraulics. They are switched on only on a handful of days each year, and seeing them play is an unforgettable spectacle; even when still, the gardens, pools and cascades make for a beautiful walk. Nearby, the royal collegiate church holds the tomb of Philip V and his queen.

How to Get There and Practical Information

La Granja de San Ildefonso lies about 11 kilometres south-east of Segovia and some 80 kilometres north of Madrid, on the northern flank of the Guadarrama mountains. It is easily reached by car, and there are regular buses from Segovia — itself connected to Madrid by high-speed AVE train in under half an hour — with the palace at the centre of the small royal town. The palace interior is ticketed, with the usual reductions, while the extensive gardens are free to enter and open daily. It is worth checking the calendar in advance for the days when the fountains are turned on (typically a few dates in spring and summer and on certain festivals), as these draw crowds but are the highlight of a visit. Allow half a day for the palace and gardens, easily combined with the sights of Segovia.