The capital of Spain Every year it receives thousands of tourists looking to explore the streets of one of the most famous and beautiful cities in the world. La Cibeles, Plaza Mayor, Sol and Gran Via They are some of the most visited attractions in Madrid, but there is one in particular that welcomes thousands of travelers and locals to enjoy the magic of the capital.
We talk about the famous El Retiro parkan impressive natural enclave in the middle of Madrid that serves as the lung of the city and is home to countless monuments, buildings, lakes and hundreds of other visitable elements. They pass through the 17 gates of this great park every day 120,000 peoplemaking it one of the most visited places in Spain.
Despite being one of the enclaves with the most influx of people, people only visit the most famous monuments in the park and many do not know that the 117 hectares that make up El Retiro hide an endless number of secrets and mysteries that well deserve to be discovered for their impressive beauty or their curious history.
The mountain of cats
One of the best kept secrets of the Retiro is the Artificial Mountain. An entire area of waterfalls and gardens that decorates a vault inside and which opened its doors last year after being closed for 20 years. In this natural enclave you can discover beautiful historical statues while you walk the trails with the soundtrack of a waterfall in the background. Its origin dates back to the time of Fernando VII, who built it in the 19th century. It also receives the name of Montaña de los Gatos for having hosted colonies of these felines.
The oldest tree in Madrid
El Retiro has an endless number of trees and plants, but what many do not know is that its territory is home to the oldest tree in Madrid. At more than 600 years old, this olive tree has surpassed the famous ahuehuete that is found at the entrance to the park. It is not the largest tree in the lungs of Madrid, since the olive trees barely exceed 10 meters in height. Originally, the tree was located in the Madrid town of Carabaña, but it was transplanted at the initiative of the Team Europe youth association with the intention that all Spanish municipalities plant at least one tree to promote sustainability and combat deforestation in Europe.
Ruins of the hermitage of San Pelayo and San Isidoro
Very few people know it, but between the fences of the Retiro we can find an authentic historical building that was created under the orders of President Antonio Cánovas del Castillo. We talk about the ruins of the hermitage of San Pelayo and San Isidorolocated very close to the Artificial Mountain and showing what was a church in the 11th century.
Originally, it was made up of a single nave covered with wood and a vault that gave it that simple but elegant touch. In 1884 the State bought it to place it as decoration in the gardens of the National Archaeological Museum and later it was located in the El Retiro Park, being today one of its hidden wonders.
Fisherman’s house
Much of the current monuments and buildings in the Madrid park are due to the whims of King Ferdinand VII, and the fisherman’s house is one of them. The monarch delimited an area known as the Retiro Park Reserve for the personal use of the royal family and this beautiful building was among its wonders. This beautiful floating house on an island on a pond began to be built in 1817. This salmon-pink building is another of those secret enclaves that very few know about and that amaze everyone who discovers them.
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