Madrid - Sightseeing

Madrid is best known for its ‘Golden Triangle’ of art museums – Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornomisza. The celebrated Art Walk, Paseo del Arte, links all three. The city’s focal point remains the Puerta del Sol – the eastern gate (puerta) of the city during the 15th century. The monument of the bear and madroño (strawberry tree), in the centre of the square, symbolises Madrid. The Calle Mayor leads west from Sol, to the Plaza Mayor, which evokes the splendour 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 recognisable 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 Atraciones funfair and leisure grounds. More unusual is the greenhouse in the Atocha Station (entrance at concourse, gate 14), popular with Madrileños and visitors alike.

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