Puerta del Sol (Sun Gate) and other Madrid, Spain Things to Do Tips

Puerta del Sol is one of the most important of Madrid's squares. It is the place where young people meet; where people stop off to go to the Plaza Mayor and old Madrid; a place to shop in department and smaller stores. There you will find the equestrian statue of King Felipe III at it's center, the king who ordered the square's construction in 1617. Five hundred years ago it was just another city gate with an image of the sun drawn on it, hence its name. Nowadays, the square is famous for being the center of the national road network. The semi-elliptic square in the centre of Madrid's city-centre is also in a way the centre of Spain as it is the point from where distances are measured on the country's roads. It is a crossroads and starting point for many of the major roads such as Alcalá, Mayor, Arenal and Carrera de San Jerónimo. It witnessed many of the major events in the history of Spain such as the Communards rebellion in 1520 or the famous people's uprising against the French on 2nd May 1808. It is also where the people of Madrid go to celebrate the Nochevieja (31st December). Thousands of revelers gather in the square once a year to await the chimes of the clock that officially announces the New Year

Leave a Comment

Address: The "center" of Madrid

The Plaza Mayor, built in 1619 by Philip III, is a vast, cobbled, traffic-free chunk of 17th-century Spain, with its centerpiece: a statue is of Philip III. There are nine arched gateways leading into this great square which was the hub of life in Renaissance Madrid. Each side of the square is uniform. Much Spanish history was lived in this center: bullfights, fires, royal pageantry, and the scene of "autos de fe", the public punishments imposed by the Inquisition. Philip V, Ferdinand VI and Charles IV were each proclaimed King there. Relief’s serving as seatback under the lampposts tells the story.

During the Inquisition, many were tried here, paraded around the square with signs listing their many sins, and then burned. Some were slowly strangled with a garrote while holding a crucifix as a priest prayed. The square is painted a shade of burgundy, the color selected as the result of a city-wide vote. Three different colors were painted as samples on the walls of this square, and the city voted for its favorite.

Leave a Comment

Address: Main square of Madrid
Directions: Metro Sol & Opera

It's surprising to find such a quiet spot in Madrid. With a huge flower bed adorning the center, the Plaza de la Villa is a relaxing site for the visitor. It's surrounded by 15th to 17th-century aristocratic mansions that have been taken over by the Town Hall. The Torre de los Lujanes, on the east side of the Plaza is a fifteenth century building and the oldest surviving building in the Plaza. King Francis I of France was held prisoner in this tower following the Battle of Pavia in 1525. The building to the right of the tower with a Mudejar doorway is the Hemeroteca Municipal, which contains more than 70,000 volumes of newspapers printed in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The next oldest building, located on the south end, is the Plateresque Casa de Cisneros which was built by a nephew of Cardinal Cisneros in the sixteenth century and is named after him rather than his Uncle. This site used to be an Arabian marketplace but no longer resembles one. The Town Hall on the west side of the Plaza is joined to this building by a floating passageway forming a bridge which can be seen on your right if standing facing the Casa de Cisneros

Leave a Comment

Directions: Along the Calle Mayor, just west of the Plaza Mayor

The desire to have a Cathedral in Madrid was first shown in 1567 by King Felipe II who was responsible for bringing the court to Madrid in 1561 and making it the capital of Spain. The project was nipped in the bud shortly after due to influences from the Archdiocese of Toledo and it was not until 1738 that the then King Alfonso XII who would act as the principal advocate for the completion. Due to political conflicts, wars and a lack of financial resources, Madrid's cathedral took over 100 years to build. The neo-gothic cathedral as we know it today was finally completed in 1885, and was considered in its day the ideal Christian church.

According to legend, it's named after the Virgin de la Almudena, whose icon was found during the Reconquest hidden in a house that the Arabs called al mudena. The building's exterior is an example of eclectic 19th-century design. The doors are bronze and there's an image of Madrid's patron saint on the façade, the Virgin Mary. The interior is full of light, benefiting from the stained-glass windows and multi-colored ceiling. Its grand Grezing organ gets played on Sundays, holidays and the day before holidays. The cathedral was only just inaugurated as the Almudena Cathedral in 1993.

Leave a Comment

Phone: +34 91 5422200
Address: Bailén, s/n, Madrid ES, 28013
Directions: neighborhood: Plaza Mayor, ÿpera & Sol

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the King of Spain, who uses it mainly for official ceremonies, though not residing there. The origins of the Palace go back to the 9th century, during which the Islamic Kingdom of Toledo built a defensive fort on the site, later used by the Kings of Castile. It was on this ancient fortress that the Old Alcázar was constructed in the 16th century.

The Alcázar was destroyed by fire on Christmas Eve, 1734, and King Philip V wished for a New Palace occupying the same site. Taking 26 years to complete, the building work took from 1738 to 1755, and King Charles III took up residence in the Palace in 1764. The entire complex was built with stone and a brick only, no wood was used so that any future fires could never destroy it. Today a visitor to the Palace today gets to see only 50 of its 2800 rooms.

The entrance may be a bit difficult to find. The entrance is on the south end of the Palace. Unless there are lines you might not notice it immediately. Look for the blue "Entrada" sign. After paying the entrance fees, enter the Parade ground, the entrance to the Palace interior is through the doors to the right of the photo.

Leave a Comment

Address: Former King's Residence

The Prado Museum is one of the premium attractions. Located in the heart of Madrid, it is by one of the most beautiful parks of the city, El Parque del Retiro, and quite close to the Spanish congress. When it was originally built in the late 1700's, it was intended as the Natural Sciences museum. Later, Joseph Bonaparte (brother of Napoleon) redesignated it as an art museum, so that when it opened in 1819 under Fernando VII it became home to the Royal art collection.

The Prado contains more than 9000 works, mainly paintings, although only about 1500 can be displayed at any one time. Inside you can view a number of paintings of El Greco, Velazquez, Goya, Peter Paul Rubens, and other famous artists. The Museum maintains the art collection of Fernando VII and other Royals and is one of the few museums that allow you to take no-flash photographs of their collection. .
The Prado is open from 9 am to7 pm, Tuesday to Saturday but only stays open to 2 pm on Sundays and holidays

Leave a Comment

Phone: 91 330 28 00
Address: Paseo del Prado, s/n
Directions: Metro: Banco de España / Atocha
Website: http://museoprado.mcu.es/

Buen Retiro means "the good retreat". So named because in the 16th century it was the private gardens of the Royalty who used it during Christmas and Easter. Later Philip III decided to build Royal Gardens there.

Today the Retiro Park is open to all with out charge. Only a short distance from the north entrance to the park is a small lake which once was the site of staged navel battles to entertain royalty, today you can rent a row boat and pretend to be one of these ships.

The park is a very popular place, particularly on weekends when street entertainers and venders populate the west side of the lake. You can see many couples and families laying in the shade, taking a break from the city hustle.

Madrid was the first city on our travel and this park provided a great place for a short afternoon nap to recharge the batteries. But as always, keep one eye open for the pickpockets.

Leave a Comment

Directions: Metro: Retiro, Príncipe de Vargara, Ibiza, Atocha
Zone: Retiro

Though the official name is Plaza de la Independencia, this square is often referred to as Puerta de Alcalá after the big three-arched city gate in the middle of the traffic roundabout.

The Puerta de Alcalá was originally constructed in 1599 to greet the wife of King Felipe III, Doña Margarita , to Madrid. On December 9th, 1759 King Carlos III, entered the city through the gate, and was displeased with the entrance, so, in 1764 he ordered the gate to be torn down and decided to construct a new gate.

The Puerta de Alcalá that we know today was completed in 1769 and it quickly became one of the most important symbols of Madrid.

Leave a Comment

Directions: Metro: Retiro, Ibiza and Menendez Pelayo.

Construction began on what is quite possibly Madrid's most amazing building in 1905 during the first years of the reign of Alfonso XIII. This post office headquarters was built in a diverse fashion that displays Gothic, Romanesque and Renaissance features.

This headquarters of the Spanish postal system, the "Casa de Correos" would move to this location when the building was completed in 1918.

The Postal and Telegraphic Museum is located inside and describes the development of the Spanish communication system starting with the 18th-century postal service and ending with today's sophisticated systems. One of the most impressive sections is the collection of Spanish and foreign stamps from the mid 18th century.

Leave a Comment

Phone: +34 91 3962679
Address: Plaza de Cibeles, s/n Madrid ES, 28014
Directions: Retiro & Paseo del Prado
Website: www.correos.es/30/10/3010.asp

The Plaza del Cibeles features a beautiful sculpture and fountains that have been adopted as a symbol for the city and by the Real Madrid soccer team. It is often the meeting point for fans and the football players themselves, whenever the team wins the European cup, Spanish league or Spanish cup. Around the square are located some of the most important buildings in Madrid.

This square acquires its name from the fountain in the middle that dates back to the 18th century, the fountain of Cibeles. This fountain is found on the stretch of Madrid commonly called the Paseo de Recoletos. It depicts the goddess Cibeles, the Greek goddess of fertility, who is seen sitting on a chariot and being pulled by two lions.
Attributed to this goddess were the powers over the fertility of fields and animals. The lions are symbols of Hippomenes and Atalanta, condemned by Aphrodite to pulling the cart. The face reflected in the water is that of Attis, who Cibeles brought back to life after her death.

It is without doubt one of the symbols of the city. The Cibeles Fountain was designed by Ventura Rodríguez between 1777 and 1782. The goddess and chariot are the work of Francisco Gutiérrez and the lions by Roberto Michel. Up until the 19th century both the fountain of Neptune and Cibeles looked directly at each other, until the city council decided to turn them round to face towards the centre of the city

Leave a Comment

Address: Where Alcala street crosses Paseo del Prado