The best running trails around Ambite

Olmeda de las Fuentes is a beautiful refuge of cobbled streets and whitewashed houses in the Alcarria region of Madrid. It is a suggestive hideaway among the extensive agricultural wastelands of the region and the narrow valleys that mark the particular orography of the territory. It is a pleasant and quiet place that was chosen a few decades ago by painters and artists to live, be inspired, create or simply rest in a delightful corner of the southeast of Madrid. And that is why the town is known as “Olmeda de los pintores” or the “town of artists”. The popular architecture is well cared for, the streets are narrow and steep, most are pedestrian, there are viewpoints and it is a pleasure to walk through the urban area following the Route of the painters or the Route of the fountains, which has a curious ethnographic museum of the Alcarria region of Madrid on the bank of the stream.

The unique urban style of Nuevo Baztán maintains the original Baroque model from the beginning of the 18th century, designed by José de Churriguera by order of Juan de Goyeneche, who had permission from Charles II to build glass, paper and textile factories on Spanish territory. The Navarrese businessman was originally from Arizkun, in the Baztán Valley, but spent time in Madrid because he had other properties and professional relations with the Court. He chose the site of Madrid's Alcarria to found an industrial and rural centre in honour of his homeland and commissioned the Madrid architect to build a glass factory, a farming village of half a thousand inhabitants, a palace, a monumental church and gardens with centuries-old pines and elms. The town preserves cobbled streets, stone squares, rural buildings from the time of its foundation, between 1709 and 1713, and palace gardens, a beautiful heritage complex declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1941 and a Site of Cultural Interest in 2000.

Fountain in the small park in front of the church.

Nuevo Baztán is a population of industrial origin promoted by the editor, journalist and politician Juan de Goyeneche. The main building of this town is the Renaissance palace of Goyeneche itself, from the 17th century, which was declared a historical-artistic monument in 1941.

Nuevo Baztán is 40 minutes from Madrid and has entered the list of "The Most Beautiful Towns in Spain". The Goyeneche palace is in a very beautiful area in front of a square full of trees. Goyeneche's palace and residence forms a façade with the Church, forming the central nucleus of this monument. There is a tourist office where they give you a map and QR codes with a tour to do around the town and all the information about those points.

A really nice town.

It is a beautiful town, extraordinarily well cared for. Its steep streets overlook Arroyo de Vega from a hillside. Formerly called Olmeda de Cebolla, it changed its name in 1953. In its streets you will find whitewashed houses, fountains and a most picturesque setting. I advise you to look out at the viewpoint next to the church for some beautiful views.

Until there we went from Alcalá de Henares on a mountain bike following tracks, it was worth it.