Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial

The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, has been called the "eighth wonder of the world". This great nave, with up to 4,000 rooms, is the largest granite building in the world.

It is known the world over for its unique Herrerian architecture, indebted to Juan de Herrera, who completed its construction after the death of its original architect, Juan Bautista de Toledo.

It was built by King Felipe II and has been a royal site ever since for many monarchs, many of which lay in its Cript. It contains the tombs of the monarchs of the Bourbon and Austrian houses who died after the date of its construction, with the exception of Felipe V, who rests a few kilometres away in La Granja de San Ildefonso, as well as Fernando VI, who is in the Reales Salesas.

Address: Calle de Juan de Borbón y Battemberg San Lorenzo de el Escorial. You can reach El Escorial by train from central Madrid stations such as Atocha (C-8) or Chamartín. If you wish to travel by bus, lines 664 and 661 running from Moncloa will get you there.