The Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso is one of Spain's finest Bourbon royal residences and a beautiful counterpoint to the severe grandeur of El Escorial. Felipe V built it beginning in 1720 as his own version of Versailles — smaller, but in the same French classical idiom — and the result is a palace that feels lighter and more graceful than most Spanish royal architecture.
The interior holds an outstanding collection of Flemish tapestries, considered among the finest in the world and covering entire walls of the formal rooms. The glass collection is also worth noting, given the town's centuries-old glass-making tradition. But the gardens are the true marvel: 150 hectares of baroque formal gardens, clipped hedgerows, long tree-lined avenues, and twenty-six monumental fountains fed by gravity alone from reservoirs in the mountains above. The fountains only run on a handful of days each year — major religious holidays and summer Sundays — when the combined display is extraordinary. Check the calendar carefully if this is your primary reason for visiting; most days you'll see the ornate stone basins without water. The palace is managed by Patrimonio Nacional; entry is inexpensive and guided tours are available.