The city Aranjuez is located about 40 km from Madrid. This city is famous primarily for its palace, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Today, the palace is an impressive complex of buildings with a vast garden, one of the most remarkable gardens of the Habsburg period in the country. The Island Garden is located on an artificial island created in the course of the Tajo river and the Ria canal. In the Prince’s Garden, you can see the miniature palace Casa del Labrador, built for Charles IV, the Narcissus fountain and the Chinese pavilions. There is also a museum here, which houses the largest and most interesting collection of royal pleasure boats in the country.
The gardens surrounding the Royal Palace were designed, planted, and decorated over two centuries with the same diligence as the monarchs’ residence itself. Following the example of Versailles, the park was meant to become another palace hall. Island Garden, Parterre Garden, Prince’s Garden…
Deep in the garden, you can see the House of the Peasant (Casa del Labrador), one of the most outstanding buildings of the Bourbon dynasty. Near the dock is the Museum of Royal Yachts, which features luxurious boats that once traveled along the Tajo river and belonged to Charles IV, Ferdinand VII, and Alfonso XII.
