Spain - Best of Extremadura

After breakfast, private excursion with your private guide to El Escorial - A palace, totally monumental: the Spanish like to talk about the "eighth wonder of the world" when referring to the mighty monastery castle of El Escorial. This largest Renaissance building in the world is located around 50 kilometres north of Madrid. Tour of the palace and monastery complex. In the afternoon, visit a museum in Madrid: either the Prado or Reina Sofia.

Optional lunch at Horizontal, optional dinner 1★ Michelin La Tasqueria, we will be happy to reserve a table for you.

Breakfast at the hotel. Then it's off to Segovia for a sightseeing tour including a visit to the Roman aqueduct, the cathedral and Alcazar. Time for an individual lunch, e.g. at Candido, not included.
Continue to Avila and visit the city walls, towers, the Cathedral of Ávila and the Basilica of St Vincent. Salamanca in north-west Spain is the capital of the province of Salamanca in the region of Castile and León. The city has its roots in Celtic times and is known for its ornate sandstone architecture and the University of Salamanca. Founded in the 12th century, the university was an important intellectual centre in the 15th and 16th centuries and still contributes to the lively character of the city today with its many international students. Afterwards, continue to Salamanca to the hotel.

2 nights in the 5★ Hotel Palacio San Estaban Salamanca, deluxe double room, breakfast – Details about the hotel

Private city tour with your private guide in Salamanca with a visit to the university, the important cathedrals and the Plaza Mayor. When it comes to culture, a visit to the city of Salamanca is simply a must, and even a simple stroll through the streets of Salamanca will allow you to enjoy the centuries-old past, the important art and the extensive knowledge of a city that has achieved worldwide fame.

Optional lunch e.g. Victor Gutierrez (1★ Michelin).

Salamanca is known as a city of thought and knowledge, but it also offers art and magnificent buildings. The historic centre, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, boasts an outstanding artistic and historical heritage with architectural gems in various styles: Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque. The university is not only one of the oldest universities in Europe, but is also one of the best examples of Renaissance architecture in Spain. However, Salamanca is still an important centre for cultural exchange today - it was named European Capital of Culture in 2002.

After breakfast, continue in a private car with your guide through the hinterland with stops in Hervas, Guijuelo and Monsterio de Yuste. First stop in Guijuelo and visit to the ham museum, then on to Hervas.

One of the most historically significant sights in Hervás is the Jewish quarter, with its narrow, steep streets lined with houses made of adobe and half-timbered chestnut wood. Some of these houses have Moorish roofs to protect them from the wind. Among the secular buildings, the palace of the Dávila family, a manor house from the mid-18th century, which now functions as a museum and also houses a public library, is worthy of special mention. The most important religious monuments include the parish church of Santa María, which was built in the 13th century and to which other elements were added in the 16th and 17th centuries, the monastery of the Trinitarian priests, inaugurated in 1659, the 14th century San Andrés sanctuary, which today houses the Cristo de la Salud, the patron saint of Hervás, and the San Antón hermitage. The 18th century Franciscan religious infirmary, which is now the seat of the town council and the municipal police, is also worth a visit.

In Hervás, in addition to beautiful handicrafts made of both leather and wood, you will find another speciality: the first collection of vintage motorbikes in Spain and the second in Europe. Continue to Yuste and visit the San Jerónimo monastery. In the late afternoon, continue to the hotel in Plasencia. At the Parador Hotel, a former monastery, you will also have the opportunity to get to know the cuisine of the province in an incomparable setting.

Optional dinner at the Parador de Plasencia.

1 overnight stay at the 4★ Hotel Parador de Plasencia, double room, breakfast – Details about the hotel

Enjoy your breakfast at the Paradores Hotel. In the morning, private city tour in Plasencia. Plasencia is located in the province of Cáceres on the banks of the River Jerte. The historic town centre reflects the fact that the town is strategically located directly on the Silver Route, the Ruta de la Plata. Plasencia was first under Roman and later Moorish rule until Alfonso VIII reconquered and repopulated the city in the 12th century. In the 15th century, the region's nobility moved to Plasencia and the city's current structure developed. Palaces, manor houses and important religious buildings together form a unique ensemble of monuments.
Optional lunch at the Hospederia de Montfrague.

Continue to the Monfragüe National Park and walk to the viewpoint or take a birdwatching tour or guided tour of the park. The scrubland and Mediterranean forests are irrigated by the Tagus and Tiétar rivers. If you are interested in birdwatching, this is the perfect place to observe griffon vultures, peregrine falcons or, with a bit of luck, the golden eagle owl. Continue to Cáceres.

No matter which direction you take along the cobbled streets of Cáceres, you will pass fortified houses, churches, the architectural remains of the old Cáceres Viejo and the Arab city wall along the way. Discover the Plaza de Santa María with its magnificent Renaissance buildings as well as gems such as the water reservoir in the museum and the Santa María monastery in Guadalupe. In Cáceres, you will witness the passage of time and find traces of the old Silver Way, a Roman road that once connected Seville and Astorga. The route was once used by pilgrims on their journey to Santiago de Compostela.

Optional dinner at Madruelo.

3 nights in the 4★ Hotel Parador de Cáceres, double room, breakfast – Details about the hotel

After breakfast, private guided city tour in Cáceres: The historic centre of Cáceres, which is surrounded by Moorish city walls and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has more than ten towers. Its townscape is characterised by medieval fortified houses, Renaissance palaces and cobbled alleyways. The history of the city is closely linked to one of the historic roads of the Iberian Peninsula: the Silver Route or Vía de la Plata, which was built by the Romans and connected Seville with Astorga. Pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela also used this road. Pork products and pastoral dishes form the basis of the area's rich culinary tradition. These local specialities are best enjoyed with the excellent wines from Cáceres.

Optional lunch at Las Corchuelas. The afternoon is free for your own explorations. Optional dinner at Javier Martin or Atrio.

Visit to Mérida with a guided tour of the historic city centre. Stroll through a street of fashion boutiques and then discover a Roman temple around the next corner. Enjoy a play in the open air on a summer evening in a huge Roman theatre with over 2,000 years of history. Drive into the city on a Roman bridge and approach a Roman fortress that rises up in front of you. This is Mérida, the city in Extremadura that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and which you will get to know today. In Mérida there are these sights that you should not miss: the Roman theatre and amphitheatre, the Roman bridge.

Optional lunch at the Parador de Mérida. And if you wish, you can visit the National Museum of Roman Art afterwards. Return to the hotel. Optional dinner at the Parador de Caceres.

Breakfast at the hotel. Then continue by private car to Trujillo and sightseeing.

Trujillo lies between the valleys of the Tajo and Guadiana rivers and is home to a wealth of churches, castles and manor houses centred around the Plaza Mayor. The city is a protected monument. This city in the province of Cáceres has also left an important mark on history, as important personalities were born here in the 16th century in connection with the discovery of America. This is why Trujillo is part of the Route of the Conquerors, which also passes through other towns in the Extremadura region, such as Medellín, Villanueva de la Serena and Jerez de los Caballeros. The Monfragüe National Park is one of the most important nature reserves in Extremadura and extends just a few kilometres north of Trujillo with unique landscapes consisting of forests, pastures and reservoirs.

Optional lunch at the Asador La Alberca. Continue to the hotel in Toledo.
Optional dinner, Ivan Cerdenp (1★ Michelin).

2 nights in the 4★ Hotel Parador de Toledo, double room, breakfast – Details about the hotel

City tour of Toledo with historic centre, Alcazar, synagogue, San Juan de los Reyes monastery and Santo Tomé church. Toledo is one of the cities with the most sights in Spain. Because Christians, Muslims and Jews lived together here for centuries, Toledo is also known as the "city of three cultures". Behind its city walls, an artistic and cultural heritage of churches, palaces, fortresses, mosques and synagogues has been preserved. This great diversity of styles makes the historic centre of the capital of Castile-La Mancha a veritable open-air museum. This is why it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Optional Lunch Candido.

In the afternoon, drive to Alcazar de San Juan and visit the windmills, in the evening return to Toledo (approx. 1 hour drive each way, depending on traffic). Alcázar de San Juan represents the typical town of the La Mancha region with important manor houses from the 17th to 19th centuries, several windmills and, above all, its famous carnival, which has been declared a festival of regional tourist interest, with the old town centre in the Plaza de Santa María.

The Gran Prior de los Hospitalarios palace with its tower, which has been declared a Spanish Cultural Asset, and its palace chapel with an almond-shaped floor plan and Gothic windows are particularly noteworthy. Religious buildings include the church of Santa María la Mayor, of Romanesque origin and with a semi-circular apse, the church of Santa Quiteria from the 16th to 17th centuries, the Gothic church of San Francisco, the church of Santísima Trinidad with a Baroque portal and the monastery of Santa Clara or La Con-cepción, while the town of Alcázar de San Juan is also home to the "Casa del Hidalgo" museum about the lives of the noblemen who inspired Miguel de Cervantes' character Don Quixote de La Mancha.

Toledo also has a very special magic at night. Take a look at the impressive lighting of the old town, attend the numerous open-air concerts that take place in summer, visit the chill-out street cafés on the banks of the Tagus or sample tapas in the pubs in the Santa Teresa neighbourhood - to name just a few aspects of nightlife in this city. Remember that Toledo has a surprise around every corner, a garden, a viewpoint, a square or a courtyard, but most importantly, the Parador is part of the experience.

Optional dinner at the Parador de Toledo.

After breakfast, drive to Aranjuez and visit the impressive palace and garden complex. Designed as a royal pleasure garden, the gardens of Aranjuez have inspired many artists and today are a space where art and nature come together to form a harmonious whole. This atmospheric area in the south of Madrid is dotted with fountains, sculptures and centuries-old trees that remind us of the splendour of the Spanish monarchy.

In the fertile lowlands of the Tagus, just under an hour from Madrid, lies Aranjuez, a place of peace and pleasure for the Spanish court in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose cultural landscape has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A walk through this royal hamlet will delight you with views of marvellous monuments such as the Royal Palace and the surrounding gardens. The Prince's Garden, the Island Garden and the Parterre Garden form a structure whose beauty has inspired many world-famous artists such as Joaquín Rodrigo. Right next to the palace, surrounded by the calm waters of the Tagus, is the Island Garden, a particularly important and characteristic garden from the Habsburg period (16th century). White marble nymphs adorn the staircase leading to this cool oasis, where Queen Isabella II was particularly fond of spending time. The unmistakable scent of the boxwood hedges planted at right angles is accompanied by the constant murmur of the fountains and small watercourses. A walk through this park invites you to linger in the many enchanted corners of this inspiring island, adorned with sculptures of mythological creatures.

Drive to Madrid airport and return flight in the early evening to Germany, Austria, Switzerland.