The history of Madrid, the capital of Spain, goes back over a thousand years. Founded in the 10th century, the city was rebuilt in the neoclassical style, but many more ancient architectural monuments have been preserved here. So what to see in Madrid?
The symbol of Madrid is its grandiose royal palace. And the heart of Madrid is its main square, Plaza Mayor, where knightly tournaments and bullfights were held earlier. Now it is the busiest place in the city with a variety of restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops.
Madrid has everything for a tourist: old churches, an opera house, a huge Buen Retiro park and, of course, many museums, including the famous Prado. And the best football clubs in the world - Real and Atlético - are based in the Spanish capital, and one evening you can get out to the stadium.
TOP 10 attractions in Madrid
Royal Palace
Royal Palace
The Royal Palace of Madrid was completed in the middle of the 18th century. It was originally planned to be built in the image and likeness of the famous Versailles, but it was eventually completed in the Baroque style. This rectangular building made of noble gray granite overlooks Oruzheynaya Square, where a solemn changing of the guard ceremony takes place every first Wednesday of the month. The inner courtyard is used for various celebrations and banquets, and some rooms of the palace are open to tourists:
- Rococo throne room with stunning ceiling paintings and Venetian silver crystal chandeliers.
- Royal Armory, which displays the weapons and armor of the Habsburgs from the 13th century, as well as tapestries, paintings and unique historical documents.
- The library, which houses the medieval Book of Hours of Queen Isabella of Castile, ancient maps and royal medals.
- Royal apartments decorated with frescoes by Italian masters, bronze candelabra and portraits by Francisco Goya.
The entrance to the royal palace is 11 euros. The nearest metro station is Ópera.
Almudena Cathedral
Almudena Cathedral
Until the end of the 19th century, there was no cathedral in Madrid, but the Cathedral of Santa Maria de la Almudena, built in 1884, is truly amazing. It is an imposing neo-Gothic building topped with a dome, with two towers dominating the main façade. Almudena Cathedral is made of noble gray granite to harmonize with the royal palace located opposite it.
The history of the construction of the cathedral is interesting - it is believed that an image of the Virgin Mary was found on the wall of an ancient Arab fortress, which used to be on this place. Now this shrine of the cathedral is housed in the altar of the neo-Romanesque crypt. And the main altar of the cathedral is made of elegant Granada marble, shimmering green. Despite the fact that the interior decoration of the cathedral was completed already in the 20th century, many antique pieces of furniture and decor are kept in it, including walnut choirs and various altarpieces.
Nearest metro station: Opera
Prado Museum
Prado Museum
The Prado Museum is one of the most visited art museums in the world. It is located in an elegant, bright building in the late classicism style. It houses the best paintings by European masters that previously belonged to the kings of Spain.
- Spanish painting is most widely represented in the museum. Especially worth noting are the works of the court painter of King Philip IV Diego Velazquez: "Meninas", "The Surrender of Delirium". Among other famous Spanish artists, El Greco, who worked in an unusual style for that era, and Francisco Goya, whose paintings are distinguished by a special tragedy, stand out.
- Flemish painting is represented by unique paintings by Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Brueghel the Elder, and the museum's ground floor houses a rich collection of works by van Dyck and Rubens.
- The museum also houses a portrait gallery of 18th century English painters, masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance, including Fra Angelico's Annunciation, selected paintings by Raphael and Titian; Rembrandt and Durer.
- In addition to fine art, the Prado also features unique drawings and prints by Francisco Goya, classical Italian and Spanish sculpture, Italian ceramics and fine Spanish furniture.
The entrance to the Prado Museum is 14 euros. Nearest Metro Stations: Atocha and Banco de España
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is in the immediate vicinity of the Prado Museum. This art gallery contains both the masterpieces of European "old masters" and contemporary art of the 20th century. However, the heart of the collection is the exhibition of paintings by expressionists and impressionists - van Gogh, Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet. These paintings were carefully collected by the German Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza, whose descendants transported their huge collection to Madrid at the end of the 20th century.
Among the most significant exhibits of the museum are the "Portrait of Henry VIII" by Hans Holbein, "St. Catherine" by Caravaggio, "Christ among the teachers" by Albrecht Durer. Art lovers should definitely visit a separate exhibition dedicated to the unique and previously unknown American art of the 18th century.
Entrance to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is 12 euros. Nearest Metro Stations: Atocha and Banco de España
Reina Sofia Museum
Reina Sofia Museum
The Museum of Modern Art was opened in 1992 by Queen Sofia, the wife of the previous king of Spain, Juan Carlos. It is curious that the locals call this museum "Sophidou", thereby comparing it to the famous Center Pompidou in Paris. The museum is located in the building of an old hospital, in which elevators were installed in a rather interesting way - three glass towers were added for them. The collection of the museum is represented by Spanish painting and graphics of the 20th century, especially the famous "Guernica" by Pablo Picasso, dedicated to the horrors of war, is worth noting.
The entrance to the Reina Sofia Museum is 10 euros. Nearest metro station: Atocha
Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor is one of the central squares in Madrid. It was inaugurated on May 15, 1620, and since then this day has been a holiday throughout Spain. The square is made in the style of the Habsburg Baroque, it is surrounded by 136 inextricably linked buildings, which creates a stunning ensemble. Each building is decorated with a balcony, in total there are more than 400 such balconies. And in the very center of the square stands the equestrian statue of King Philip III, completed in 1616.
Nearest metro stations: Sol and Opera
Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol is one of the central squares of Madrid; earlier on this place stood the main city gate, called the "Gate of the Sun". Eight streets intersect in this graceful oval square, and it itself is surrounded by elegant buildings of the 18th-19th centuries. The most prominent of these is the Post Office, which is decorated with a clock, the chiming of which heralds the beginning of the new year. A plate with a "zero kilometer" is mounted on the square, from which all distances in Spain are counted. And the main attraction of Puerta del Sol is the famous sculptural group "The Bear and the Strawberry Tree", which is considered the symbol of Madrid.
Nearest metro station: Sol
Cibeles Square
Cibeles Square
Cibeles Square is famous for its fountain in honor of the Roman goddess Cybele, located in its center. The impressive sculptural structure depicts a chariot drawn by lions, in which sits the ancient goddess of agriculture, symbolizing mother nature. The ensemble of the square is also complemented by four surrounding buildings, the most interesting of which is the Cibeles Palace, made in the neo-baroque style at the beginning of the 20th century. Previously, the central post office was located here, but now this amazing building is used as a meeting place for the state council.
Another building, located in Cibeles Square, is shrouded in legends. This is the Linares Palace, within the walls of which an unfortunate girl is immured, the fruit of the forbidden love of the first Marquis of Linares. It is believed that her ghost still haunts the castle, and some eyewitnesses claimed to have heard the crying of children. However, now this curious building houses the cultural center of America.
The image of the square ends with two more buildings: the neoclassical bank of Spain and the old Buenavista palace, made in the 18th century. In December, closer to Catholic Christmas, Cibeles Square is most brightly and colorfully decorated.
Nearest metro station: Banco de España
Buen Retiro Park
Buen Retiro Park
Buen Retiro Park is a favorite vacation spot for Madrid residents, and its various attractions are of great interest to tourists:
- The pavilion of the late 19th century, made like the famous London Crystal Palace;
- Rosary, in the center of which there is a fountain depicting Lucifer;
- The outbuilding of the now destroyed Buen Retiro Palace, where an art gallery is now equipped;
- An alley with elegant 18th century statues that used to decorate the palace.
In summer, the park also hosts concerts, book fairs, puppet shows and colorful festivals.
Nearest metro stations: Retiro and Ibiza
Santiago Bernabeu Stadium
Santiago Bernabeu Stadium
The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium is home to Real Madrid Football Club, one of the best teams in the world at the moment. Despite the fact that this sports arena was built back in 1947, it has a modern infrastructure and can accommodate 81 thousand spectators. Football matches usually take place on weekends, and tickets can be bought both at the stadium's box office and on the official website of Real Madrid football club. The minimum ticket price is forty euros. The stadium also houses the team's club museum, where football fans can admire the proudly displayed Real Madrid trophies, peek into the players' changing rooms and even descend onto the lawn of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. You can get to the Real Madrid Museum for 25 euros.
Nearest metro station: Santiago Bernabeu
