Description
During this private tour an important part of Spanish history will be disclosed to you.
You will certainly appreciate this unique experience discovering a significant part of the Spanish history, enjoying the private transportation in our comfortable cars or vans and tasting the delicious Spanish gastronomy.
The tour includes:
All entrance fees of the visited sites
Visiting all monuments with a private official guide
Approximately 1,5 hour drive from your hotel in Madrid to Segovia
You will visit the Alcázar, the Cathedral (built in 1558, late gothic) the Aqueduct, the Jewish Quarter, the Main Synagogue and Saint Martin’s Church
Walking around this old city you will see Plaza Mayor, The ramparts, the square San Martín and more
Transfer about 20 minutes to La Granja de San Ildefonso
1,5 hour guided tour in the royal palace and garden of La Granja de San Ildefonso
1 hour and 15 minutes drive back to your hotel in Madrid
Customized
All private tours of City Tours Madrid can be customized. Send your personal interest to info@citytoursinmadrid.es and we will make a personalized proposal. Suggestions like:
- Pedraza
- Sepúlveda and visiting the natural park of the Hoces del Río Duratón, where you can see the colony (575 registered couples) of griffon vultures in this protected area.
Segovia, city full of historical traces
The city of Segovia nestles on a high hill surrounded by the rivers Clamores and Eresma, which come together at the foot of the Alcázar, a strategic location. Here we find traces of the first settlements from Celtiberian tribes during the Iron Age. Around 80 B.C. the Romans conquered Segovia.
The Roman time ended with the Barbarian’s invasions and the subsequent Muslim invasion.
In 1085 Alfonso VI reconquered Segovia and the city was resettled with Christians.
Segovia took off as a major city of Castile and here the proclamation of Queen Isabel I, the Catholic, took place in 1474.
The Aqueduct
The most visible testimony of the Roman presence is the Aqueduct constructed around 110 A.C. with a total length of 15 km, 767 meters length on arcades and reaches a height of 28.5 meters.
The Alcázar
Another highlight of Segovia is the Alcázar, which has been built on a rock with an exceptional view over the region. This palace was for centuries the most important residence of several Castilian monarchies. With the arrival of the house of Habsburgs to the Crown, the Alcázar gradually lost its importance and became just a state prison.
The Jewish Quarter
During the 13th till the 15th century the city of Segovia had a major Jewish population. The testimony from this time is the Jewish quarter which still conserves its former layout of narrow, winding streets to the south of the city and within the walled site.
Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso
The origin of the royal Palace dates back to the farm that the Hieronymus monks of El Parral had at this spot. It was here that there was originally a hermitage dedicated to San Ildefonso which Enrique IV had built and which the Catholic Monarchs later donated to the monks of the Segovian monastery.
The first Spanish king from the French House of Bourbon, Felipe V dedicated to build a new palace in this area after the ruin and abandonment of the nearby palace of Valsain.
The palace, built in Versailles style with clear Italian influences, was the summer residence of the monarchs of Spain until Alfonso XIII.
In this palace complex the most noteworthy aspect are the gardens which provide a perfect example of 18th century gardens; its alleys, parterres and the layout of the fountains were designed by a team of engineers, architects and sculptors, resulting in some beautiful gardens which in some areas have been converted into an authentic forest.
