Discover Colmenar Viejo: Culture, Nature and Holiday Apartments

The Basílica de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora brings Colmenar Viejo’s long architectural history to life: construction began around 1480–1490, and the basilica was completed in the 1540s.

Culture

Under Decree 56/1997, the Basílica de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural.

The Casa Museo de la Villa is housed in a 17th-century building. Its museum spaces include a wine press and a wine cellar; it also presents a collection on the history of Colmenar Viejo, its main economic sectors and traditional crafts.

The Casa Museo de la Villa offers and conducts free guided tours of the municipality’s tourist attractions. These include the Casa Museo itself and the Basílica de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora.

The Visigothic necropolis of Remedios was included in the Plan de Yacimientos Visitables in 2003.

The Los Molinos y Batanes de El Grajal hydraulic complex comprises one fulling mill, three mills and two industrial facilities that were used both as mills and fulling mills. The facilities were in operation by 1605 at the latest; the earliest reference found to date is from 1546.

Nature

The Los Molinos y Batanes de El Grajal complex is located within the municipality of Colmenar Viejo, in the Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares and in an area designated as a Reserva Natural Integral.

The Dehesa de Navalvillar is a municipal estate covering more than 1,000 hectares, where livestock farming is combined with leisure, sporting and educational activities. Access with dogs is not permitted. The route through the Dehesa offers very wide horizons and far-reaching views.

Trails

The 8Rutas network begins in the built-up area of Colmenar Viejo and offers more than 200 kilometres of walking and cycling routes.

The Camino de Pedrezuela leads to the Alto de la Camorcha, which offers a 360-degree panorama of Madrid. The Camino de Santiago from Madrid to Sahagún and the Senda Real GR-124 from Madrid to Manzanares El Real run along this route.

The Río Manzanares route follows the Manzanares and offers diverse flora and fauna, mills, the remains of former mines, as well as a forest of holm oaks, oaks and ash trees in the Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares.

The various trails can be organised by theme: panoramas, river landscapes, historical traces, and walking and cycling routes each offer a different focus for planning your day.

Archaeology

The Yacimiento de Navalvillar can be reached via an unpaved road that branches off the M-625 at kilometre 4, near the car park of the Ermita de los Remedios. The site was characterised by a strong mining and metallurgical focus based on extracting iron from magnetite.

The Museos Geológicos al Aire Libre display geological structures, rocks and fossils; visitors can view and study 191 specimens.

Other places: Ajalvir, Cenicientos, Gargantilla Del Lozoya, Horcajuelo De La Sierra, Titulcia, San Martín De Valdeiglesias, Robledillo De La Jara, Santorcaz.

For the broader travel overview: Madrid.