Patones de Arriba

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General facts

According to the legend, Patones, hidden among mountains, was the only village that the French Army didn’t occupy during the Independence War; it was an independent reign with its own dynasty and its inhabitants, tired of the abuses of the commander, they threw his body into a place called Rendijo.

Patones de Arriba is Madrid’s best example of la arquitectura negra, an old style of architecture in which the buildings were built of slate, and have a typically dark, primitive look. Up the hill from the town are several ruins of old buildings, and there are several hiking routes in in the surrounding areas.

During your walk you can visit an old chapel of the sixteenth century, the Geological or Slate Museum. You will find also a variety of restaurants with typical food of the region.

Personal opinion

If you're looking to travel back in time through a unique day trip experience not too far away from the capital city than Patones de Arriba is definitely the right place. Nobody really knows how old this quiet village really is, but according to the legend, the town is more than a thousand years old.

One of the great things about Patones is that almost no cars are allowed in the village, only the residents. So walking through Patones you can almost get the feel of what life was like in the past. Every street you walk down, and there aren´t that many, every corner you turn, there is a new, quaint feast for the eyes and imagination.

My recommendation

Visit Patones in autumn when the leaves turn yellow, orange, brown, red.

If you plan to have lunch there expect to pay a bit more than the usual price for a menu and a few drinks.

Here are our memories from Patones de Arriba captured in photographs. Enjoy your visit here and there!