Móstoles: Art, History and Hiking

Móstoles brings together architectural history, contemporary art, local history, and trails along the Río Guadarrama. If you’re looking for a hotel in Móstoles, you can choose what to focus on based on your plans: Would you like to discover architectural details, explore different museum themes, or set aside time for a longer hike? The city offers a range of ways to do so.

Architectural History and Architecture

The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is a building in the Mudéjar style. Following numerous restorations, only the apse and tower remain of the historic structure. The semicircular apse is decorated with horseshoe arches. If you’re interested in architecture, you can consider the building’s style and its surviving historic elements together, without equating them with the entirety of its present-day structure.

The Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Santos offers another architectural landmark. It was built in the Jesuit style at the beginning of the 17th century and features a Churrigueresque altarpiece. Together with the Mudéjar church, it offers two different examples of Móstoles’ architectural history: the churches differ both in their stylistic classification and in the architectural details they highlight.

Art, Local History, and Historic Domestic Life

The Museo CA2M Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo is a museum and center for contemporary art. It explores current artistic and cultural practices in the regional, national, and international contexts of Madrid. It also houses the contemporary art collection of the Comunidad de Madrid, comprising more than 3,000 works; the collection may change. Exhibitions and specific exhibition details may also change. Checking current listings can therefore help you plan when to visit the museum.

The Museo de la Ciudad de Móstoles focuses on something different: its permanent exhibition covers the city’s history from the 19th century to the present day. While the CA2M considers contemporary art in a broader context, this museum focuses on the history of Móstoles itself. The Casa-Museo de Andrés Torrejón complements this historical perspective with a portrayal of domestic life during the Spanish War of Independence. The restored house has been furnished to reflect the early 19th century.

Performances and Guided Tours

The Teatro del Bosque hosts the main theater, dance, and music performances offered by the Ayuntamiento de Móstoles. As the program changes, check the current performance schedule if you’d like to plan your stay around an event.

On the first Sunday of each month, the Ayuntamiento organizes free guided tours of monumental Móstoles. The program may be rescheduled or revised. So check the current date in advance if you’d like to plan to join a tour.

Green Spaces and Trails Along the Guadarrama

Móstoles has more than two million square meters of green spaces spread across its various neighborhoods. Móstoles is also part of the protected natural area Parque Regional del Curso Medio del río Guadarrama y su entorno. The city’s green spaces and the protected natural area are two distinct aspects of the natural environment.

The Senda de Móstoles a El Álamo starts in Móstoles and reaches the Río Guadarrama after four kilometers. The linear walking and hiking trail is 18.3 kilometers long one way; the stated walking time is six to seven hours, and the difficulty level is rated as low. For seven kilometers, the route runs parallel to the river. When planning, it’s important to distinguish between the distance and time figures: four kilometers marks the point where the route reaches the Río Guadarrama, while 18.3 kilometers and six to seven hours describe the longer route. This lets you distinguish the river as an intermediate destination from the total walking time for the route.

Getting to the CA2M

Ways to reach the Museo CA2M include Renfe on line C5, the Metro via Móstoles Central and Pradillo, and bus lines L1, L2, 519, 520, 521, 525, 526, and 527. Check current services before traveling, as routes and line numbers may change.

Discover more destinations: Collado-Villalba, El Gasco, Brea De Tajo, Villamanrique de Tajo, Estremera, Villa Del Prado, Patones, La Hiruela.

Return to the overview of destinations: Madrid.