This is what a visit to the Royal Palace and Gardens of La Granja (Segovia) looks like.

From  Madrid, one of the traditional excursions to the Segovia province should take you to La Granja of San Ildefonso, very close to the capital.

It is a small town at the foot of the lush forests of the Sierra de Guadarrama, on its northern slope Segovia province, and whose streets show corners with great charm.

But the great monumental focus of this visit is, without a doubt, the Royal Palace, which is surrounded by some Huge and beautiful gardens with classic French style, which extend over 146 hectares.

Besides visiting the palace, the main attraction is in walk through its gardens enjoying the spectacular monumental fountains that are found in them.

Of course, you should know that you can only see the fountains in operation at a certain time of the year, generally from Easter until the end of summer, specifically, until August 25, day when you can see this show for free.

Curiosities about the history of the Royal Palace of La Granja

When in 1721 the king Philip V commissioned the construction of a small palace where to retire next to the historic hunting reserve, this was built in Versailles baroque style.

I mean, the Royal Palace of Granja de San Ildefonso is inspired by the famous Palace of Versailles, near Paris.

Since the main characteristic of said French palace is its enormous and very well-kept gardens, Valsaín It seemed like an ideal place not only to hunt, but also to design some large gardens.

The  Gardens of the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso They are currently one of the best preserved examples of 18th century gardens.

Designed by French Rene Carlier, extend for six kilometers and 146 hectares with the design of a classic french garden of that time.

How to visit the Royal Palace of La Granja

El Royal Palace It is actually a set of U-shaped buildings, in which two patios are arranged.

This palatial complex includes the Royal Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity, former chapel of the king Philip V, where he is buried in a crypt located behind the main altar.

With an interior design in Baroque, during your visit the Royal Palace You will see that the enormous glass lamps of the Royal Crystal Factory of La Granja, and the polychrome gold wooden ceilings and moldings.

As a curiosity, in front of the façade you see as you approach the palace, you will find two imposing trees that will surely surprise you with their size.

Is giant sequoias, a tree native to California, and specifically the largest, is over 150 years old, 42 metres tall, and has a trunk diameter of 4,7 metres.

This is the experience of visiting the Gardens of La Granja, what to see

If what leads you to visit La Granja de San Ildefonso is to walk through the gardens and see the fountains in operation. Royal Palace, You will not need to access the palatial building.

As you arrive in front of its façade, you have to go to the entrance to the gardens which is to the right of the palace façade, with free access most days.

There is also the box office where you must buy tickets when the spectacle of the operation of the monumental fountains takes place.

How many fountains are there in La Granja?

During your walk through the gardens of the Royal Palace of La Granja You can see flowerbeds, alignments of trees, meadow areas and walls of vegetation, although what stands out most about them are their 26 sources.

Distributed throughout the surface of the gardens, in many cases the fountains are large monumental complexes which incorporate numerous sculptures.

These sculptures were built in lead, although they are painted in bronze to provide greater ornamentation.

How the fountains of La Granja work

However, the vast majority of visitors stay in the lower part of the complex, strolling through the gardens surrounding the palace and seeing the most important fountains.

But one of the most curious things about this palace is that the supply of water to the sources It maintains its original project from the 18th century, starting from its storage in a large pond.

You should know that, currently, fountains of the Granja palace They maintain the operating system of the time of Isabel II, so that the water descends to each of them taking advantage of the slope of the hillside and the law of gravity.

And the reality is that the vast majority of visitors never actually walk up to the pond, as happened to me until one of my most recent visits.

Where is the Bridge of Sighs in La Granja Gardens?

There I discovered a truly amazing landscape and, above all, a corner with great charm, very little known, but which has the name of one of the sites visited by tourists in the city of Venice.

I mean the Bridge of Sighs, of which there is another version in the university city of Oxford in England.

In the case of Bridge of Sighs from the gardens of the Royal Palace of La Granja, it is a bridge of neoclassical built with wood from the nearby forests of Valsaín.

It is located on the west side of the large rectangular pond which is known as The sea, next to which there is also a curious one cave.

It was built with Valsaín wood with a curious romantic style during the reign of Carlos III in the 18th century and is one of the highlights of these impressive French-style gardens that surround the palace.

Why is it called the Bridge of Sighs?

But why is it called Bridge of Sighs?

In the case of Venice Bridge of Sighs, it seems that its name comes from the sigh made by the prisoners who crossed the bridge from the Ducal Palace until reaching the dungeons that were in an adjacent building.

In the case of Oxford Bridge of Sighs, which separates the buildings where the boys and girls resided from the Hertford College, one of the first mixed schools in the city, seems to be due to the sigh they made when they separated.

Today, this bridge separates an administrative building from a residential building.

And in the case of Bridge of Sighs in the Royal Gardens of La Granja, it seems to be due to its romantic appearance and its tranquil surroundings that invite you to sigh with admiration.

When the La Granja Fountains operate

Due to water storage limitations, the number of days in which the fountains can operate throughout the year is conditioned by the greater or lesser availability of water in said reservoir.

Taking into account the rainfall each year, it is usual for them to start operating in Easter, or in the first weeks of April, to stop operating on the August 25 holiday, and there are even years in which they operate until October 12.

Since the greatest beauty of these gardens is reflected when the fountains are active, it is important to know the Hours and days of operation of the Farm's fountains to, as I mentioned before, try to make your visit coincide with those days.

How to see the La Granja Fountains in operation

The days that under normal conditions the fountains are put into operation starting in spring, Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, the Gardens of the Royal Palace of La Granja They open for visitors at 13 p.m.

What time do the La Granja fountains work?

The first fountain starts operating at 17,30:XNUMX p.m., although it is advisable to arrive well in advance to be able to walk to where it is located, in the upper area of ​​the gardens.

On Sundays the fountains start at 13 pm instead of in the afternoon.

The sources that are put into operation vary each week, since alternate two different groups of sources.

There are only three days of the year when all the fountains start up, the aforementioned July 25 and August 25 (this day with free admission) and May 30.

Below we detail what are the characteristics of the most outstanding Fountains of La Granja, in the order in which they are usually put into operation.

Basket Fountain in La Granja

La Basket Fountain It is located in the upper part of the gardens, on the west side of them.

It is a fountain with a large central jet that vertically raises the water up to 25 meters and is complemented by eight lower jets and another 32 on the edge of the fountain.

The water feature is one of the most beautiful you can see in La Granja.

Fountain of the Frogs in La Granja

The next fountain that starts up, and to which you will go with the rest of the visitors, is the Frogs Fountain, which represents a mythological story.

With a total of 64 jets, several of them that are sculpted in the shape of frogs direct their water jets towards the center of the fountain.

Diana's Baths Fountain in La Granja

The third source on this visit is the one known as Diana Baths, which is the westernmost one in the Farm Palace Gardens, and it is the most spectacular group of fonts.

It is a monumental complex in which the mythological history of Diana in the bathroom.

The water play sponsored by its 26 jets is really beautiful.

Fountain of Fame in La Granja

The last fountain visited on this tour, and also the one that takes place every other week, is the fountain of fame.

It is the closest to the entrance to the gardens, and has a single jet that reaches 47 meters high.

It is the only source that receives water directly from the general reservoir located in the upper area of ​​the gardens, which is known as The sea.

La fountain of fame It marks the end of the visit, and given the great height of its stream, the water wets those who are near it, to the joy, especially of the children.

The route that alternates with the one described begins with the Horse Race Fountain, located in the central part of the gardens.

Its 106 jets make up one of the most outstanding water games.

The next source is New Waterfall, which are actually three sources, Amphitrite Pond, Waterfall and Fountain of the Three Graces, with a total of 33 suppliers.

And before reaching the fountain of fame, in this tour you can see the Fountain of the Eight Streets, which are actually eight fountains with 65 jets in total.

Schedule to visit the Royal Palace of La Granja

The Visiting hours of the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso They are, from April to September, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 19 p.m., and from October to March, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 18 p.m.

Last admission is one hour before closing time year-round, and Monday is the closing day.

The Visiting hours of the La Granja Gardens They are from Monday to Sunday at 10 a.m., closing between 18 and 21 p.m., depending on the time of year.

La Granja Royal Palace ticket prices

The ticket prices to visit the Royal Palace of La Granja They are, generally, 9 euros; reduced, 4 euros, which benefits children from 5 to 16 years old, students up to 25 years old and seniors +65; and free entry for children under 5 years old, people with disabilities and on certain dates of the year.

Here you have the information about how to visit the Royal Palace of La Granja for free.

Map: how to get to the Royal Palace of La Granja

El Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso It is located just 15 minutes from Segovia by car, and an hour and a quarter from Madrid.