Special Tours

Sunday, May 27

Madrid Tour

Tourist sight-see from a dedicated Bus with explanation of the history and special characteristic of the most important places in Madrid.

 
Monday, May 28

Royal Palace and Historic Madrid

Royal PalaceVisit to Royal Palace residences (guided), Shopping time and way back to the hotel.

Reception at Town Hall by Mayor

The city of Madrid is bringing us an opportunity to be welcomed by the Mayor at Town Hall in order to thank the Society of Allied Weight Engineers for placing the International Conference in Madrid. After this, we will go to dinner to a special “andaluz” restaurant (from the south of Spain) where we could taste typical Spanish dishes (ham, omelete…) at the same time we show a flamenco spectacle.

 
Tuesday, May 29

Visit to Segovia

Castle AlcazarSegovia, old city at 90 Km. from Madrid, visiting the “Acueducto” (water conduit) build by Romans 2000 years ago, the Castle “Alcazar” and the Gothic Cathedral. Segovia, whose old town and Roman aqueduct are World Heritage, is located on high ground between the channels of the rivers Eresma and Clamores. As well as the famous Aqueduct, a multitude of medieval churches, the Cathedral and Alcazar fortress make up a majestic landscape, which dominates these Castilian lands. Its modern Parador is one of the best places for travellers to try the city's most typical dish: roast suckling pig. Segovia is also an excellent starting point for travelling through the province and visiting the palace of La Granja or the Natural Park of las Hoces del Río Duratón, among other options.

 
Wednesday, May 30

Visit to Toledo

ToledoToledo is a very interesting city at 70 Km from Madrid. Toledo with over two thousand years of history has the special characteristic of being a melting pot where all the cultures and eras of Spain have come together and intermingled, and which together make up a small but rich example of the history of the land. Intellectual and cultural centre in the 12th and 13th centuries. Cradle of the Mudéjar style. Capital of the empire under Carlos I. Capital city of the Spanish church. Refuge and inspiration of El Greco. Their cultural influences, together with the tolerance and adaptability of its inhabitants, have made the entire city a monument, composed of innumerable buildings, fine examples of a pluralistic culture, where palaces and convents have been built with a mixture of granite masonry, Visigothic remains and Muslim filigree plasterwork.

 
Thursday, May 31

Special Historical-Technological Tour  Sold Out

This special tour will consist in two parts. In one hand the visit to Spanish facilities of ESA/NASA in Robledo de Chavela and in the afternoon the visit to historical monastery of El Escorial.

Visit to Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex (MDSCC-NASA)

Madrid Deep Space Communications CentreThe Visitors Centre (CEV) of Robledo de Chavela was opened in 2002, co-financed by NASA, INTA and INSA. The foundation objectives of CEV are:

  • Spreading of knowledge related to space science and technology
  • Technical training on space activities.
  • Promotion of space and science among schools and universities
  • Conferences on space issues
  • Monographs of launches and key milestones in space missions

The Visitors Centre is located inside a modern building at the entrance of Madrid Deep Space Communications Centre (MDSCC), in the municipality of Robledo de Chavela (Madrid). The Visitors Centre has the following facilities:

  • Exhibition Hall 1: mock-ups, graphics and instruments used in manned flights, about the history and functions of MDSCC and about the different centres that compose the Deep Space Network (Madrid, Canberra and California).
  • Exhibition Hall 2: it gathers information about space missions and the several planets that compose the solar system. In this exhibition, one can see a 1/1mock-up of the space vehicle that got to Mars in January 2004 (MER).
  • Exhibition Hall 3: It is composed of spacecraft and rockets mock-ups, as well as of several elements used in manned space missions, such A as –for instance- astronauts suits like the one used by NASA’s astronaut Miguel López Alegría.
  • Video Screening Room: Used to project videos and make presentations and conferences on space topics related to MDSCC and the DSN.

Visit to El Escorial

El EscorialThe Monastery of El Escorial, located some 30 miles northwest of Madrid in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama, was built as a monument to commemorate the Spanish victory over the French in the battle of Saint Quentin on 10 August 1557 (feast day of St. Lawrence). Felipe II himself selected the site for the monastery, 1,028 meters (3,372 feet) above sea level, and personally oversaw the progress of the project. Architect Juan Bautista de Toledo initially designed the monastery, but after his death in 1567, his assistant Juan de Herrera continued the work. Construction lasted 21 years from 1563 to 1584, and for many years after its completion, El Escorial Monastery was the largest building in the world. The building is structured around a main axis that extends eastwards from the main facade through the Library, the Kings' Courtyard, the Basilica, and the Palace of Felipe II. In addition, the complex includes a Monastery, a Seminary, a School, and the Kings' Pantheon beneath the high altar of the Basilica.The decoration of the Monastery was entrusted to prominent Italian painters of the time who were responsible for the Gallery of Battles and the Library among other rooms. Works of Titian, Bosch, El Greco, and Velázquez also hang in the Chapter Rooms and Sacristy. Overall there are about 1,600 paintings and more than 500 frescoes in walls and ceilings. The Monastery has an interesting Museum of Painting and Architecture as well.