Rascafría

For more than six centuries, the imposing monastery of Santa María de El Paular has dominated over Rascafría. Located within the majestic landscape of the valley of Lozoya, it holds around fifty paintings by the Venetian painter Vincenzo Carducci. Situated two kilometres away from the town, the architectural complex of the Monastery of Santa María de El Paular consists of the monastery, the church and a palace. The palace, which was originally built to house the Spanish monarchs, was converted into a hotel in the 70’s and is now temporarily shut down. The charterhouse of Nuestra Señora de Santa María de El Paular was the first Carthusian foundation in Castile and an important cultural and economic centre for many centuries, until it was dissolved in the 19th century. In the mid-19th century, a Benedictine community dedicated to monastic life and hosting guests and visitors made it their home. The monastery is a gem of monastic art, as it holds an extensive collection of paintings by Vincenzo Carducci. Visitors can admire 52 of the 56 original paintings, on loan from the Prado Museum.

This bridge is just opposite the Monasterio de Santa María de El Paular. The current bridge was likely built by the Carthusians in the first half of the 18th century. It probably replaced another older one, possibly made of wood, to make the trip from the monastery to the papermill more comfortable and accessible. In his book El Paular, Ildefonso Gómez, the monastery’s former prior, tells the legend of the origin of the name of the bridge. According to this legend, there were so many bandits threatening the safety of the colonists that the landowners were granted the privilege of administering justice without having to seek royal authority. Apparently, prisoners were allowed to appeal to the court, which was comprised of one member from each plot of land, with the sentences reviewed at the Puente del Perdón (Bridge of Pardon) on the road to the Casa de la Horca where prisoners were hung if their sentence was ratified as a deterrent to others.

This parish, which dates back to the 15th century and was declared a Site of Cultural Interest, has been reformed and restored many times. It offers an interesting mix of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and contemporary elements. Divided into three naves, the inside hosts many interesting pieces of art from the El Paular charterhouse, such as an 18th century statute of Saint Michael created by Luis Salvador Carmona.

An early 20th-century Mudejar building, it was once used for other purposes but is now home to the villa’s local government.

The Bosque Finlandés forest is an idyllic place that’s charming any time of the year. The pond, sauna and leafy forest of fir trees, black poplars and birch trees evoke the natural beauty of Scandinavia. The landscape is spectacular any time of the year. In spring water invades everything as the snow melts; in summer, the temperatures are always rather mild so walking around is a real pleasure; in autumn, the forest transforms with ochre and reddish colours dominating; in winter, the snow becomes the focus and it’s perhaps the time of greatest beauty.

Dating back to 1726, as indicated on one of the windows, there is no proof it actually housed postal service replacement horses but there is evidence of its use as an olde worlde inn that operated a monopoly for visitors seeking accommodation in the villa.

Situated in a small square of the same name, this Casona was once a hospital. The door and porch of this home, which was built on a plot owned by the Trastámara family, date back to the 14th century and are the only remaining examples of the urban architecture of that era in the villa of Rascafría.

The old Carthusian papermill is located on the “Los Batanes” estate. It once belonged to the monastery and is now the property of the Autonomous Region of Madrid. The mill’s history is as old as Carthusian history, dating back to 1396 when an Alameda resident sold a mill to the nuns to be used to prepare the necessary wood for all the Carthusian work. The Los Batanes estate was also known for its paper factory, producing the sheets used at the printing house on Calle Atocha Juan de la Cuesta to publish Quijote in 1606.

These sawmills represent the historic continuity of one of the main sources of survival in Rascafría over the centuries: the exploitation of all the wood from its forests. La Sociedad was founded in the year 1840 and the first building was erected in 1855. Throughout the 19th and early 20th century, it was a major commercial and industrial hotspot.

The Paular Valley Visitor Center in Rascafría has a visitor information point on activities in this area (Rascafría, Alameda, Pinilla, Lozoya, and Navarredonda and San Mamés), and a multipurpose outdoor area.

Situated next to the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park Interpretation Centre, it features deciduous trees from all over the world: trees from Asia, Europe, North America and South America, all separated by areas within the arboretum. Thus, visitors can gain a little knowledge of the world’s forests. There’s also information on the characteristics of each area. All of these trees from such different backgrounds is possible because of their adaptation and the unique climate conditions in Rascafría.

Área recreativa con aparcamiento, merenderos, kiosco y aseos. Desde aquí parte la ruta del Monte de los Batanes, con paradas en el puente del Perdón, el monasterio de Santa María de El Paular y las ruinas del molino de los Batanes, todo en un recorrido a través del bosque finlandés.

Descubrir la riqueza de las tradiciones de Rascafría y Oteruelo del Valle es la mejor forma de conectar con la esencia de una villa que ha sabido convertir sus costumbres en el reflejo de su identidad serrana. El evento más emblemático tiene lugar a mediados de agosto con las Fiestas de la Virgen de la Peña, patrona del valle; una sobrecogedora romería de gran arraigo donde los vecinos se trasladan en procesión hasta su ermita, llenando el entorno de bailes tradicionales, jotas y fervor popular. No menos tradicional es el Natural Folk, el consolidado festival de música de raíz que cada verano llena de melodías e instrumentos tradicionales las plazas del municipio.

La vida festiva también late con fuerza en octubre durante las celebraciones de la Virgen del Rosario, patrona de Rascafría, donde los pasacalles, las calderetas populares y los actos tradicionales recuerdan el antiguo ritmo de vida del Valle del Lozoya. El privilegio de vivir la tradición de la villa se completa en otoño con las emblemáticas Jornadas Gastronómicas de las Setas, la Caza y el Vino, la cita culinaria más importante del municipio que atrae a amantes del producto local de toda la Comunidad de Madrid. Para planificar tu escapada en los momentos más vibrantes del año, te recomendamos consultar el listado oficial de eventos de Rascafría, una herramienta esencial para descubrir el alma de esta histórica localidad.