A day trip from Madrid offers the perfect excuse to step back in time, and few places capture Spain’s medieval legacy quite like Ávila and Salamanca, both proudly listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Your adventure begins in Ávila, a walled city that appears lifted straight from the pages of a history book. Its imposing stone ramparts, punctuated by 88 defensive towers, encircle a beautifully preserved old town. Step inside and you’ll find Romanesque gems such as the Ávila Cathedral, part fortress and part place of worship, as well as the Basilica of San Vicente, famed for its architecture and colourful stonework. Ávila sits just over 100 kilometres from Madrid, and you can easily reach it by train or coach, both options run frequently throughout the day. From Ávila, continue west to the golden-hued city of Salamanca, home to one of Europe’s oldest universities. Its nickname, La Dorada, The Golden City, comes from the glow of its sandstone buildings, especially beautiful at sunset. Wander across the Plaza Mayor, often hailed as Spain’s finest square, then lose yourself among the cloisters, libraries and carvings of the historic university quarter. While Salamanca is delightful by day, it truly comes alive at night, its tapas bars and buzzing student energy make it tempting to extend your stay beyond a day trip.

By the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, you can find the only cloister-cemetery in France that has been classified as a historical monument since 1910. Built in the beginning of the 14th century, it also has an ossuary and the current building consists of 4 galleries about 54 metres long each.

The neoclassical-style former palace of the Marquis of Matallana, erected in 1776, is home to a captivating assembly of 19th-century artworks, furnishings, and decorative objects that capture the essence of Madrid's cultural, political, and everyday life of that era. Its collection provides a glimpse into the lavish lifestyles of wealthy individuals during that period. The exhibition includes pieces by renowned artists such as Goya, Esquivel, Madrazo, Alenza, and the Bécquer brothers. In addition, you can marvel at ceramics from Sargadelos and Sèvres, exquisite jewellery crafted from ebonite, lava, and human hair, a selection of porcelain dolls, as well as several pianos and pieces of imperial and Isabelline furniture. The Magnolia Garden, styled after the French gardens of the 18th century, is one of the most enchanting parts of this exceptional museum.