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Ortophoto-Mesh Madrid Community
Km2: 8,400
All the scenery is made with a resolution of 1mts/pixel (LOD 15) that used the mesh of 4.75 m / pixel (LOD 13) provides beautiful places to fly. At airports the resolution used is 0.30 m / pixel (LOD 17).
It is a day time photorealistic scenery.Includes autogen.
"Madrid has turned into the fable of Europe. It is called the capital of joy and of contentment. Describing our city in such terms means that it is welcoming, cordial, free, peaceful and universal".
This definition of how the capital of Spain is today, which was taken from a proclamation of the best-loved Mayor of Madrid, summarizes the prevailing atmosphere in the city, by cultural exaltation, the vitality of the cultural and spiritual movement in Madrid, which has found a happy as well as famous outlet in the so-called "movida" or festive spirit of the city.
Because nobody is a foreigner in Madrid. The capital has always known how to be nice and amiable. Its environment, its bustle and happiness to be alive are contagious. Anybody who arrives in Madrid and remains in the city for some time finds it difficult to leave.
Its forcefulness and personality turn Madrid into an unforgettable city, and its plentiful resources of interest to tourism - nature, art, history - are rounded off extraordinarily well by a series of cities in its surroundings which are full of sights of historic interest, some of which have been included by the UNESCO in the list of places considered "world heritage": Ávila, Segovia, Toledo, as well as the Monastery of El Escorial. All of them lie within about 100 km. from the square La Puerta del Sol.
The capital has already more than three million inhabitants, while its municipal district covers 607 km2. Next to old buildings of historic interest, there are other modern ones, of doubtless value as well. It consists of different centers that are clearly separated from each other and have a personality of their own. Still others have some peculiar characteristics: there is a MADRID OF THE AUSTRIANS, another OF THE BOURBON; there is also a MADRID OF GOYA, the one of THE MUSEUM OF EL PRADO. THE ROMANTIC, ISABELLINE MADRID. The one of the novels by Galdós (our Balzac, our Dickens). There is the PICTURESQUE MADRID of "El Rastro" (The Flea Market), of the bullfighters, of the flamenco dancers, of the antique dealers, of the artists, of the playhouses.
The expression "los madriles" is more than justified since it refers to all the different aspects of the city, among them, MODERN MADRID, with its sky-scrapers and avant-garde buildings and squares. The Congress and Exhibition Hall and the numerous facilities for holding fairs make Madrid a CONGRESS CITY.
THE SURROUNDINGS OF MADRID
Starting from Madrid, it is easy and far from strenuous to visit the surrounding sights. Many of them lie within the province itself, such as El Escorial, Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen), Aranjuez, etc., and are therefore very near and easily accessible.
Others are the capitals of the provinces bordering on Madrid like Toledo (71 Km), Guadalajara (39 Km), Ávila (115 Km.) and Segovia (81 Km), or the villages and towns of these provinces, such as La Granja de San Ildefonso or Siguenza.
It is not necessary to underline the artistic value of cities such as Toledo - The old Visigothic capital and Imperial city, where Christian, Arab and Jewish cultures lived in harmony giving an example of perfect tolerance and leaving behind admirable traces of their existence - or Ávila - "The land of songs and saints ", which completely hidden behind its old walls -, or Segovia - with the noble stone of its Roman aqueduct, a two-thousand-year-old picture of culture and beauty.
On the other hand, it appears necessary to underline the importance of the royal residences, such as El Escorial - the idea, spirit and ex voto of Felipe II - (50 Km away, most of it along a motorway), La Granja de San Ildefonso - a product of the first Bourbon's longing for France, ie, Felipe V - or Aranjuez, a delightful garden in the middle of the Castilian Meseta. In order to visit these historic sites in the surroundings of Madrid it is possible to use public transport - the bus or train - or the services of the different travel agencies which have daily programs for such visits.
EL ESCORIAL
San Lorenzo de El Escorial, 49 Km from Madrid by road and 1,000 above sea level, is one of the former royal residences which in this case owes its universal fame to the famous Monastery which was built there by King Felipe II, but which today has a countless number of different attractions that will make a visit and stay there a very pleasant experience.
The renowned Monastery of San Lorenzo el Real gives an overall impression of grandeur and austerity that has never been equaled. Its granite, is the work of Juan Bautista from Toledo and of Juan de Herrera. On the façade of the Basilica, there are the statues of six kings of Judah (Josaphat, Hezequah, David, Solomon, Josiah and Manasseh), which were carried out by the sculptor from Toledo, Juan Bautista Monegro, who also made the main entrance to San Lorenzo.
Not content with building the "eighth wonder of the world", the King took over large tracts of land in its surroundings to build the Royal Woods of San Lorenzo, in the clearings of which magnificent buildings were constructed. Afterwards, during the reign of Carlos III, the "Casita del Príncipe" was built, which is a marvelous casino-cum-museum, as well as the House of the "Infante", which lies in a splendid place. The reconstruction of the Theatre of El Coliseo of Carlos III, one of the oldest stages in Europe, has given new life to the cultural trends in the city.
A few kilometers from El Escorial, in a wild valley of the Guadarrama Sierra, on top of the ridge called La Nava, we find the monument of La Sant Cruz del VAlle de los Caídos (Holy Cross of the Valley of the Fallen), the silhouette of which is an unmistakable granite cross, 150m high and 46m long at the cross piece. It was built as a mausoleum for the soldiers that fell victim to the Civil War. It is also the burial place of General Franco. The funicular railway which runs from the esplanade at the back to the base of the cross is an extra attraction for tourists.
ARANJUEZ
The two most important architectural works are the Royal Palace, the former residence of the Kings of the House of Bourbon, and the "Casita del Labrador", a small palace with rich collections of porcelain and clocks. Around these buildings, there are gardens with many waterfalls, huge fountains and peaceful pools, amidst the most varied lush vegetation.
Aranjuez is a modern, well-developed town, with typical restaurants on the banks of the Tagus, where one should not miss the opportunity of trying the typical asparagus and strawberries in the magic surroundings of palace, gardens and fountains.
ALCALA DE HENARES
It lies 30km from Madrid and is an urban complex full of artistic and historic sights. In the old part the former university is outstanding. It used to be the most important one in Spain and was founded by Cardinal Cisneros in 1496. In a Renaissance building, whose beautiful façade was designed by Rodrigo Gil de Ontañón, a public department has found its offices. Other outstanding sights include the Auditorium and the Patio of Santo Tomás de Villanueva. Further sights of special interest include the student residence Cisneros, the Church Magistral, the Palace of the Archbishop and the House of Cervantes.
HUNTING AND FISHING
The most numerous private game reserves lie in the provinces of Toledo and Guadalajara. The most important and most sought-after species is the Red-legged Partridge, of which there are plenty.
Also very important is the Sierra of Grados, 170km from Madrid, where the sportsman can go in search of the beautiful and difficult trophy of the Spanish Ibex. There is the Statgerun Parador of Gredos, which can be used as a starting point for excursions and hunting parties.
If one wants to hunt in this Reserve, one has to have not only the corresponding hunting permit, but also a special permission from the department administering the Reserve.
In the surroundings of Madrid, there are many rivers where fishing is good. The most abundant species include: Common Trout, Pike, Black Bass, Bue Carp and other members of the Carp family. The most important trout rivers are the Lozoya, Jarama, Manzanares, Alberche, Tormes, J?ar, Tagus, Escabas, Cabriel, Eresma, Estena, Alto Duero and Tera, which have many fish reserves. What is more, there are plenty of reservoirs where it is possible to fish, among them, El Burguillo, Entrepeñas and Buendía.
SNOW AND MOUNTAINS
Skiing is a further attraction of the winters in Madrid. Only 50km from the capital, there is the skiing resort of Navacerrada, which is perfectly connected by road and train. One of its runs is international, with a length of 3,500m over a slope descending over 750m. There are many mechanical installations, ski schools and shops with sports articles. Other such centers are the mountain pass of Cotos and Valdesqu, which are also skiing resorts where the sport can be practised. Cotos lies 7km from Navacerrada and has splendid natural conditions with heights between 1,700 and 2,300m over a slope descending for 690 m. From Cotos, it is possible to reach the Lagoon of Peñalara, where the scenery is extremely beautiful with a view of the Peak of Peñalara and the Ridge of Los Claveles.
About 100km from Madrid, at Riaza, there is La Pinilla, which has magnificent natural runs as well as sports and tourist installations.
Apart from hunting and fishing, mountaineering is possible in the Sierra of Gredos. The massif is a powerful wall between two Castilian mesetas and reaches its highest point at the Pico de Almanzor. |
