El Paular Monastery

At the head of the Lozoya valley, next to Rascafría, the Trastámara royal house founded the first Carthusian monastery in Castile in 1390. The Carthusians lived there until the confiscation of church property in 1836; it was declared a historic-artistic monument in 1876, is now a Bien de Interés Cultural, belongs to the State and lies within the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park. Since 1954 a community of Benedictine monks, of the Subiaco Congregation, has lived there, and in 1996 its restoration began under a master plan.

What you visit

There are two ways to see it, always with a reservation:

• Guided monastic area and cloister exhibitions. The guide shows the church, with its alabaster high altarpiece, the chapter house, the tabernacle and the sacristy, the refectory and the Recordación cloister. The monastery gives a duration of between 1 h 15 and 1 h 30. Some departures, such as those at 12:30 and 16:30, begin with half an hour free to see the exhibitions and continue with a 30 or 45-minute guided visit.
• Main cloister and Espacio Paular Contemporáneo, self-guided. In the main cloister hangs Vicente Carducho's "Serie cartujana": more than fifty canvases of about 3.45 by 3.15 metres, painted between 1626 and 1632 for this very cloister, on the life of Saint Bruno, life in the order and the martyrdoms of the Carthusians. After the confiscation they were scattered among museums across Spain, and the Prado Museum restored and recovered them from 2002. The old cells host contemporary art exhibitions.

Hours and prices

In winter it opens Wednesday to Sunday. Guided visits leave Wednesday to Friday at 12:00, 12:30 and 16:30; on Saturdays at 12:00, 12:30, 16:00 and 16:30, and on Sundays and public holidays at 12:30, 16:00 and 16:30. Self-guided cloister visits run from 11:00 to 13:30 and from 16:00 to 17:30. It is closed Monday and Tuesday, except public holidays, and on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. Times may change because of cultural or liturgical events.

• Guided monastic area: €7 general, €4 over-65s and groups, €3 children.
• Cloister and contemporary exhibition: €5 general, €3 over-65s and groups, €1 children.

Book on the monastery website or on 91 869 19 58; capacity is limited.

Rules and Masses

Photos and videos are not allowed, animals are not admitted and the visit must finish a quarter of an hour before closing. It is a working community: keep quiet in the areas where the monks live. Masses are Monday to Friday at 19:30, Saturdays at 8:00 and 19:00, and Sundays and public holidays at 12:00, sung.

Getting there and parking

The monastery is on the M-604, kilometre 27.5, at the exit from Rascafría. Parking is for visitors only, with number-plate control: it opens 20 minutes before the visit and closes 10 minutes before it starts, so enter your number plate when you book. By bus, line 194 reaches Rascafría from Plaza de Castilla; see buses from Madrid.

What to combine

Opposite are the Perdón bridge and the Giner de los Ríos Arboretum, and from there the walk to the Purgatorio waterfall starts. In summer, a short step away, you can swim at Las Presillas.