Madrid, spain
Attractions Guide
Introduction
Spain's capital city of Madrid is located in the center of the country and acts as a transportation hub to many other destinations within Spain. Madrid is known for its world-class art museums, massive plazas, the Royal Palace of Madrid, and the giant urban El Retiro Park.
Royal Palace of Madrid
The most popular attraction in Madrid is incredibly lavish Royal Palace of Madrid, a gorgeous baroque palace built in the 18th century. The palace is the official residence of Spain's royal family, however they have not lived in the palace since the 1930s and today the palace is only used for ceremonial events.
Be sure to tour the palace's stunningly opulent interiors, which contain many highly ornate rooms such as the royal apartments, the royal library, and the grand staircase with its elegant frescoed ceilings. Also within the palace complex is the Royal Armoury of Madrid, which showcases historic weaponry and armor.
Directly to the north and east of the palace are lovely gardens which you might like to explore, including the Campo del Moro and the Sabatini Gardens.
Major Churches
Directly across from the Royal Palace of Madrid is the majestic Almudena Cathedral, a gigantic stately cathedral with a stunning romanesque crypt lined with imposing columns beneath it.
Just south of the Almudena Cathedral is another impressive religious structure, the domed royal San Francisco el Grande Basilica. The basilica's magnificent interior is quite a sight to behold, as it contains many intricate details as well as frescoes by the famous Francisco Goya.
Temple of Debod
To the north of the Royal Palace is an incredible attraction, the ancient Egyptian Temple of Debod. This small temple was constructed in Egypt over 2,000 years ago in the city of Aswan, dedicated to the god Amun. Amazingly this stone temple was deconstructed in Egypt and rebuilt in Madrid during the 20th century. The temple is surrounded by a man-made pond and is an excellent place from which to enjoy the sunset.
Famous Plazas
Within Central Madrid are two of the city's most famous public plazas, the Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor. The Plaza Mayor is lined with archways on all four sides, with its main feature being the lovely ornate Casa de la Panaderia building.
A few blocks away is the Puerta del Sol plaza, which is the touristic center of the city. This plaza is lined with historic buildings, most notably the clock tower of the Real Casa de Correos.
Plaza del Callao
Just north of Puerta del Sol is another major square, the 19th century Plaza del Callao, which is somewhat reminiscent of Times Square in New York and surrounded by colorful tall buildings. From this plaza you might walk along Madrid's Calle Gran Via street, which is lined with shops, boutiques, restaurants, and theaters.
Plaza de Espana
North of Madrid's Royal Palace near the Temple of Debod is the stunning Plaza de Espana, a public square with a large monument in the middle, surrounded by Madrid's two most prominent skyscrapers. The Plaza de Espana is quite photogenic.
El Retiro Park
To the east of Central Madrid is the city's El Retiro Park, a vast urban park filled with trees, monuments, small palaces, and intricate gardens. The park's most iconic feature is the Monument to Alfonso XII, an extravagant colonnade which overlooks the park's giant pond. A great way to enjoy the pond and monument is by renting a paddle boat.
Be sure to see the park's stunning Palacio de Cristal (Crystal Palace), an intricate palace-shaped structure built entirely of glass and an iron frame. This elegant building hosts temporary exhibits and sits on a terrace above a small pond. The pond features a small waterfall and grotto cave behind it which you can walk through.
El Retiro Park contains many fine gardens to explore, which are scattered throughout the park. On the northwestern edge of the park is Madrid's triumphal arch, the Puerta de Alcala. This striking neoclassical monument pre-dates the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Golden Triangle of Art Museums
Just west of El Retiro Park are Madrid's top three art museums, including the Museo Nacional del Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. Together these three nearby museums make up Madrid's Golden Triangle of Art.
Prado Museum
The Museo Nacional del Prado (or Prado Museum) is extremely popular and hosts one of the finest collections of European art in the world, as well as the top collection of Spanish art, all housed within a neoclassical palace-like building. The museum's art collection ranges from the 12th through 20th centuries and hosts extensive works by famous artists such as El Greco, Francisco Goya, and Diego Velazquez.
Adjacent to the Museo Nacional del Prado is the lovely San Jeronimo el Real Monastery with its elegant exterior. Also nearby is the grandiose Neptune Fountain, as well as several smaller fountains and monuments which line the parks and streets between the Prado Museum and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.
Reina Sofia Museum
To the south of the Prado Museum is the Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofia (or Queen Sofia National Museum of Art). This museum houses a massive collection of 20th century Spanish art, including many important works by Dali and Picasso.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Nearby the Prado Museum is the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which hosts a vast collection of fine art not represented in the Prado and Reina Sofia Museum. The Thyssen museum's collections include Italian, German, Dutch, and English works from the 13th through 20th centuries. This museum also hosts Impressionist and Expressionist works from America and Europe.
More Museums
North of the Golden Triangle Museums and El Retiro Park is Spain's incredible National Archaeological Museum, which hosts an extraordinary collection of artifacts from Spain and Portugal from prehistoric times to the present. The museum also contains significant artifacts from ancient cultures such as Rome, Greece, and Egypt.
Joaquin Sorolla Museum
To the north of the city center is one more great museum you might consider visiting, the Museo Sorolla, which is dedicated to the great Spanish artist Joaquin Sorolla. The museum is located in Sorolla's posh former home and contains a significant collection of his works displayed within a beautiful setting.
Naval Museum
Immediately north of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is the intriguing Museo Naval, the Naval Museum of Madrid. The museum details the history of the Spanish navy, including the exploration of the Americas and maritime history of the Spanish colonies.
CentroCentro & Circulo de Bellas Artes
Adjacent to the Naval Museum is the gorgeous Palacio de Cibeles palace, which is also known as CentroCentro and hosts Madrid's city hall, as well as cultural exhibits and beautiful ornate interiors. Apart from being extremely photogenic, the building hosts a rooftop terrace from which you can enjoy amazing views over the area.
The CentroCentro Palace sits above the grand Fuente de Cibeles fountain, which looks stunning when viewed with the palace behind it.
Just west of the CentroCentro Palace is another impressive towering structure, the Circulo de Bellas Artes. This building also hosts a great rooftop terrace with even better views overlooking Madrid.
Greater Madrid
Within the Greater Madrid area are two more former royal residences and a popular theme park featuring smaller replicas of iconic European monuments. Madrid is also extremely close to the stunning cities of Toledo and Segovia, which are popular tourist destination commonly visited during day-trips from Madrid.
Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Northwest of Madrid is the UNESCO listed Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a massive royal complex whose design is believed to be based on the ancient King Solomon's Temple.
El Escorial's complex contains a royal palace, grand library, basilica, several museums, and fine gardens. The interior of the entire complex is extremely decadent and ornate, especially its grand Library. Also within the complex you'll find the Royal Pantheon, which contains the tombs of many Spanish kings and queens.
The entire complex takes at least 3-4 hours to see, if not more. You can reach the complex by a combination of trains, a bus, and a short walk from Central Madrid in about 1.5 hours. Alternatively the El Escorial is about 1 hour from Central Madrid by car.
Royal Palace of Aranjuez
Directly south of Madrid is another palace, the UNESCO listed Royal Palace of Aranjuez. This lovely Renaissance-style palace was somewhat inspired by the Palace of Versailles and used as a royal hunting lodge.
Inside the palace you'll find many decadent highly embellished rooms you can tour. The palace sits alongside the Tagus River and is surrounded by large formal gardens that you can explore.
You can reach the Royal Palace of Aranjuez from Central Madrid by taking the train and walking about 1 mile (1.6 km), which takes about 1 hour. Alternatively, you can reach the palace in about 45 minutes by car.
Parque Europa de Torrejon de Ardoz Theme Park
Just east of Madrid is the Parque Europa de Torrejon de Ardoz, a small theme park featuring scaled-down replicas of famous European monuments, such as Paris's Eiffel Tower or Rome's Trevi Fountain.
This park offers many excellent photo opportunities and is best visited on the weekends and holidays when all of the attractions are open. The Parque Europa is about 1 hour from Central Madrid via public transportation and 30 minutes by car.
Google Maps Attraction Lists
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