Madrid, Spain — Where to Go
Madrid Sightseeing Overview
Madrid is best known for its 'Golden Triangle' of art museums - Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornomisza. The celebrated Paseo del Arte (Art Walk) links all three.
The city's focal point remains the Puerta del Sol - the eastern puerta (gate) of the city during the 15th century. The monument of the bear and madroño (strawberry tree), in the center of the square, symbolises Madrid.
The Calle Mayor leads west from Sol, to the Plaza Mayor, which evokes the splendor of Spain's 17th-century Golden Age.
The Calle de Alcalá, a grandiose thoroughfare constructed in the reign of Charles III, leads east of Sol, towards Plaza de Cibeles. The fountain, with its statue of a Greco-Roman fertility goddess astride a lion-drawn chariot, is a landmark instantly recognizable to all Spaniards. Visitors might be less impressed with the crazy merry-go-round of traffic encircling her. Overlooking Plaza de Cibeles is the imposing Palacio de Comunicaciones - the main post office, dating from 1904.
The Madrid cityscape is softened by numerous green spaces - lovely squares, such as the Plaza de Oriente, in front of the Royal Palace, and parks, most obviously the landscaped Parque del Buen Retiro and Jardín Botánico (Botanical Gardens) near the Prado.
Further west is the wilder Casa de Campo, which also contains the Parque de Atracciones funfair and leisure grounds. More unusual is the greenhouse in the Atocha Station (entrance at concourse, gate 14), popular with Madrileños and visitors.
Madrid Tourist Information
Oficina Municipal de Turismo
Plaza Mayor 27
Tel: 91 588 1636.
Website: www.esmadrid.com
Opening hours: Daily 0930-2030.
There are also branches in: Conde Duque de Medinacelli 2 (tel: 91 429 4951; open daily 0930-2030), Mercado Puerta de Toledo 2 (tel: 91 364 1876; open daily 0900-2030), Aeropuerto de Barajas Terminal 1 (tel: 91 305 8656; open daily 0930-2000), Estacion de Chamartin (tel: 91 315 9976; open daily 0930-2000) and Estacion de Atocha (tel: 90 210 0007; open daily 0930-2000).
There is also the Patronato Municipal de Turismo, Mayor 69 (tel: 91 588 2900; open Mon-Thurs 0800-1500 and 1600-1800, Fri 0800-1500).
Madrid Sightseeing
The Madrid Card, valid for one, two or three days, gives visitors free admission to over 40 major museums, the Madrid Vision bus tour (see Tours of the City), as well as discounts in selected shops, restaurants, theaters and more. The cards can be purchased from main tourist offices or online (www.madridcard.com).
Madrid Sightseeing
The Madrid Card, valid for one, two or three days, gives visitors free admission to over 40 major museums, the Madrid Vision bus tour (see Tours of the City), as well as discounts in selected shops, restaurants, theaters and more. The cards can be purchased from main tourist offices or online (www.madridcard.com).
Key Attractions in Madrid, Spain
Museo del Prado (Prado Museum)
The Prado Museum (founded in 1819) is among Europe's greatest art galleries. Within its 4,000-strong collection of 16th- to early 19th-century paintings, are masterpieces by Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Bosch (El Bosco), Titian, Rembrandt and Velázquez, as well as evidence of the astonishing development of Goya - from his sun-soaked early paintings of dances and festivities to the grim madness of his black period.
Paseo del Prado s/n
Tel: 91 330 2900.
Website: www.museodelprado.es
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0900-1200. Closed Mon.
Admission charge; free on Sunday.
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum)
Madrid purchased the private collection of Hans-Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza after a nine-and-a-half-year loan, instantly enriching the city's fund of art treasures. The collection contains over 800 paintings, sculptures, carvings and tapestries, ranging from primitive Flemish works to contemporary pieces. Highlights include works by Fra Angelico, Van Eyck, Dürer, Caravaggio and Rubens.
Paseo del Prado 8
Tel: 91 369 0151.
Website: www.museothyssen.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1900. Closed Mon.
Admission charge.
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Reina Sofia National Art Center Museum)
Housed in a former hospital built by Francesco Sabatini for Carlos III in the late 18th century, the museum was designed by the Spanish architect Antonio Fernánez Alba in 1977 and completed in 1990. Officially opened by the King and Queen in 1992, it is dedicated to Spanish 20th-century art, pride of place belonging to Picasso's disturbing Civil War canvas, Guernica. Dalí, Miró and Juan Gris are among the other artists on show. More recently the museum has expanded with a building created by the French architect Jean Nouvel. The expansion houses the museum's library, a 450-seat auditorium and temporary exhibitions galleries.
Calle Santa Isabel 52
Tel: 91 774 1000.
Website: www.museoreinasofia.es
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-2100, Sun 1000-1430. Closed Tues.
Admission charge; free Sat 1430-1900 and Sun.
Palacio Real (Royal Palace)
With the opulence of Versailles in mind, Philip V commissioned Italian architects Giambattista Sacchetti and Francesco Sabatini to build the Royal Palace, following a fire that destroyed the medieval Alcázar in 1764. The present king, Juan Carlos I, resides in the more subdued Zarzuela Palace outside Madrid, so Philip's 3000-room extravaganza is only used for state functions. The rest of the time, the startling white building in granite and Colmenar stone is open for tours and individual visits. Highlights include the Hall of Halberdiers and Hall of Columns with their splendid frescoes, the Throne Room with its 17th-century sculptures, and the lavish private apartments of Charles II. Just off the courtyard is the Royal Armoury and Pharmacy - among Europe's oldest. Visits take approximately two hours. There are spectacular views over Madrid from the surrounding gardens.
Plaza de Oriente, Calle Bailén s/n
Tel: 91 454 8800.
Website: www.patrimonionacional.es/preal/preal.htm
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0930-1700, Sun 0900-1400 (Oct-Mar); Mon-Sat 0900-1800, Sun 0900-1500 (Apr-Sep); closed during official ceremonies.
Admission charge; Wed free for EU nationals.
Plaza Mayor (Main Square)
This beautifully proportioned cobbled square was begun by Philip II and completed by Philip III in 1619 - his statue stands proudly at the center. Plaza Mayor was both a market place and the setting for public spectacles - everything from the ritual condemnation of heretics to bull fights and pageants. Today, tourists outnumber the locals but Plaza Mayor is still as lively as it was in the past, with shops and cafes in the covered arcades.
Further Distractions
Parque del Buen Retiro (Retiro Park)
This lush park in the heart of Madrid was originally the private garden of Philip IV. Visitors can enjoy a stroll along the shady avenues and formal gardens, take a rowing boat out on the lake or picnic in the extensive wooded areas. Madrileños come here in their thousands on Sunday mornings, when entertainment is provided by fortune tellers, pavement artists and circus acts. There is a children's puppet theater and numerous refreshment points. Temporary art exhibitions are held in the Palacio de Cristal, Palacio de Velázquez and the Casa de Vacas.
Puerta de Alcalá, Plaza de la Independencia
Opening hours: Daily 0600-2200.
Free admission.
Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales (Convent of the Royal Barefoot Sisters)
Founded by Juana de Austria, the daughter of Charles V, in 1559, as a retreat for noblewomen, the Convento de las Descalzas Reales is still a functioning convent. A superb example of 16th- to 17th-century baroque architecture, it contains a magpie's hoard of artistic treasures, including Flemish tapestries, Italian and Flemish paintings and sculptures, religious artifacts and more. The convent is open for guided tours only. Tours are in Spanish, although questions are taken in English.
Plaza de las Descalzas Reales 3
Tel: 91 547 5350.
Website: www.patrimonionacional.es/descreal/descreal.htm
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0930-1700, Sun 0900-1400 (Oct-Mar); Mon-Sat 0900-1800, Sun 0900-1500 (Apr-Sep).
Admission charge.
Faunia Parque Biológico de Madrid (Environmental Park)
The theme of this attractively landscaped theme park is bio-diversity. Each of the 10 pavilions has been specially designed to recreate a different natural environment, with the aim of demonstrating how life (animal life in particular) has learned to adapt to a variety of ecosystems. Thanks to the latest high-tech wizardry, visitors can ‘experience' a tropical storm, take a stroll through the rain forest, visit the polar regions with temperatures of -5ºC (23ºF), or watch rivers of molten lava flowing 1,000m (3,281ft) beneath the earth's surface.
Avenida de las Comunidades 28
Tel: 91 301 6235.
Website: www.faunia.es
Opening hours: Vary according to season, limited to daylight hours.
Admission charge.
Parque Juan Carlos I
This modern and vast green space (Madrid's biggest park) holds within it the recinto ferial (fairground), where most of Madrid's exhibitions take place. It also holds the largest collection of macro-sculptures in Spain. People come here to walk, ride their bicycles, fly kites and fish. There is even an enclosure to exercise dogs.
Campo de las Naciones, glorieta de Don Juan de Borbon s/n
Tel: 91 721 0079.
Opening hours: 0700-2400 (summer); 0700-2200 (winter), open until 0000 during shows.
Free admission.
