3 Best Day Trips from Madrid: Segovia, Toledo, and San Lorenzo de El Escorial | Condé Nast Traveler

"Alcázar Fortress looks like a castle straight out of a fairytale, but it was actually once a medieval fortress. It was rebuilt in a different style following a fire and today, visitors can explore its many halls and secret passageways, museum, and military archives. You'll queue for tickets, but the wait—and small price of admission—is well worth it: Families will love it. Romantics will swoon. Historians will pump up their knowledge. Tourists will fill their memory cards to the brim. All in all, there's something for everyone." - Ramsey Qubein