Trifter

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Madrid is such an awe-inspiring, vivid and exciting city that every plaza, street and small park is a must-see spot. The best one could do is just walk around it all day long and find new things spontaneously. But if you are the type of tourist that prefers to navigate in an organized manner or if you don’t have much time and you just want to see the main locations, here is your list.

1) Puerta del Sol – In the 15th century this used to be the city’s gate to the east but now it is the center of Madrid. Chances are you will either be staying at a hotel/hostel which is walking distance away from it or you will be using it as a meeting point. It is a frantic and lively place where you can enjoy dinner, a good shopping trip or start your day of sightseeing.

2) Plaza Mayor – It used to be a small market place in the 15th century right next to Puerta del Sol. But it was destined for bigger things when Madrid became the capital city. This is where corridas, carnivals and other ceremonies are held. Even on an ordinary day it is a great tourist spot since it offers a good variety of souvenirs.

3) Palacio Real (Royal Palace) – The royal family does not live there, but it is still used for official functions. It was built in its present state by Felipe V after the old building burned down in 1734. The palace has more than 3000 rooms distributed among its six floors. You can take a tour that will show you presents given to the kings, musical instruments crafted by Stradivarius, and some of the halls used for formal occasions.

4) Parque del Retiro is a landmark in Madrid. You can spend a relaxing afternoon among the statues, long passages of floral arrangements, fountains and the lake. Or you can visit the Palacio de Cristal (Crystal Palace) known for its exhibitions.

5) The Golden Triangle refers to three museums situated along the Paseo del Prado namely, Museo del Prado, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia and Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. Museo del Prado (Prado Museum) – established in 1819, it is one of the best places to visit worldwide for art lovers. With more than 13000 works of art dating from the 12th-19th century, make sure to free your schedule for a day if you want to do a detailed tour. It is also a place to find valuable collections of thousands of prints, medals, drawings and coins as well as a place where you can see the work of some of the greatest Spanish artists like Goya, Velazquez, Murillo, Greco, etc. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia was opened in 1992 and hosts 20th century art. Among others you can find two more Spanish artists that have shaped the world of art: Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. The museum is among the most reputed ones for contemporary art with many visiting exhibitions, installations, videos, sound recordings and over 100 000 books. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza is a good addition to the two museums mentioned above because it represents genres and eras in art that are absent from the other two. For example, it elaborates on the German, Dutch and English school and includes more than 1600 European and American paintings from the second half of the 20th century. Furthermore, its collection of impressionists and expressionists rivals the British Royal Collection in size.

6) Plaza de Colon celebrates the Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus, whose Spanish name is Cristóbal Colón. His statue shows him pointing to a direction to the west, which is the route he followed to the Caribbean.

7) Plaza de Espana is where the executions portrayed in Goya’s The Third of May happened. Nowadays, nothing is left of the bloody past and instead, there is a big monument of the two probably most known Spanish literature characters: Don Quixote and Sancho Panza situated below a monument of their creator, Miguel de Cervantez.

Plaza de Oriente is situated right in front of the Royal Palace. Unlike other plazas in Madrid, this one resembles a park with many statues. The statues representing the Spanish monarchy were supposed to be placed on top of the palace but Isabel II decided to put them in the park instead fearing that even a slight earthquake could damage them. They are pretty rudimentary and rough since they were crafted with the expectation that the viewer will only see them from a distance.

9) Puerta de Alcala is situated in Plaza de la Independencia and was completed in 1778. The marks that are seen on it are from shrapnel that are traced back to 1823. Many people have gone through the gate, which was an important entrance for victorious soldiers and an exit for the defeated ones.

10) Almudena Cathedral – the cathedral stands at the place where once the first Madrid mosque was. The idea to build a big church was established in the 16th century after Madrid became the capital of Spain. However, constructing the cathedral did not prove to be a fast or easy task. After battling over legal matters and not being able to receive permission for decades the work finally took off. It was paused during the 1930s civil war only to be completed in 1993. Pope John Paul II consecrated it himself and was later given a statue at the entrance. After all, the style of the cathedral reflects the events during the centuries it took to get it built. The interior is brighter which gives it a modern touch and the glass is painted in what many describe as pop art style.