Think traffic gets bad around your town? Spare a thought for the residents of a tiny medieval town that sits at the bottom of mountain foothills. This walled town has just one way in and out, through a gate just three metres wide and three-and-a-half metres tall. For many years the hefty wooden gates would be closed at night for all but emergency exits.

While it’s not a huge tourist destination, the town experiences bottlenecks at weekends due to the narrow size of the door, but it’s well worth the wait to access this unique medieval settlement. Just make sure you hire a compact car, or you risk losing a wing mirror against the heavy black wooden doors.

Pedraza can be found in the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains about 90 minutes from Madrid, and you pass through miles of lush green pine and oak forests before you reach the gate. Once you make it inside, the cobbled roads don’t get much wider. They’re clearly designed for a horse and cart and not a SEAT Ibiza. You’re better off getting a bus tour that drops you off outside so you can wander around on foot.

Down the winding streets, the town feels suspended in time, its solid stone buildings topped with red roofs offering a classic Spanish aesthetic. At one end of the town, you’ll find Castillo de Pedraza, a 13th-century castle that was owned by a Spanish painter. Many artists, nobles, and royals have lived in the town over the years, although the population has dropped down to just a couple of hundred people nowadays.

Other sites you can visit include Jail Villa – the old town jail, and Casa del Aguila Imperial, a house turned into a museum and wildlife centre, focused on the unspoilt nature that surrounded Pedraza.

One of the best times to visit is for Concierto de las Velas, a yearly outdoor event which takes place on July 4 and 11 in 2026. Thousands of candles are lit along the streets and outside of homes, and multiple outdoor classical music concerts take place in stunning locations across Pedraza. Entrance to the town is limited to ticket holders during this time.

About a 40-minute drive is Segovia, an underrated Spanish city famous for its huge 1st-century aqueduct, one of best preserved Roman structures in the world. Alcázar de Segovia, a medieval castle, may look familiar as it was the inspiration for the castle in Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Segovia Cathedral was one of the last gothic cathedrals built in Europe in the lavish Flamboyant style, and its 90-metre tall bell tower is among the tallest in Spain. Finish your day in the regal Plaza Mayor, where you’ll find important historic buildings like city hall, as well as bars and restaurants with outdoor terraces giving you views of the cobbled square.

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