New Castle of Manzanares el Real

The New Castle of Manzanares El Real is one of the absolute best day trips from Madrid, especially if you combine it with a hike among the waterfalls and rock formations of the nearby La Pedriza area. The castle itself dates back to the 15th century and was built by the Mendozas, one of the richest and most influential families in early Castile around the time of the reign of the Catholic Kings, Ferdinand and Isabella.

What stands out most about the castle is its amazing state of preservation (it was apparently restored in the early 20th century) and the decorative granite balls which circle the turrets and give the castle something of a fairy-tale look.