Sightseeing in Madrid
by NickFord on 02/10/09 at 6:53 pm
Madrid is a modern city. Here are six things that you must see.
Madrid is a thoroughly modern city . The greater metropolis of Madrid is the fourth largest urban area in the European Union. Over 3.2 million people live in the modern city: 5.8 million live in the environs. When Philip II of Spain chose to relocate the capital of Spain from Valladolid to Madrid in 1560-1561 he did no because the site was the geographic centre of Spain.
Until the nineteenth century the city did little more than service the Royal Court. Modernization was curtailed by the Spanish War, but accelerated in the post war period, under the leadership of Franco and beyond. Although older pockets remain, the result is a modern city with some interesting architecture.
Here are some of the sights.
A view across the modern city. Source: Wikipedia
The historic Plaza Mayor
Source: Wikipedia
The Prado
Source: Wikipedia
The Prado contains one of the best collections of European Art in the world. It ocntains over 1,300 paintings by the leading Spanish old masters such as Velaquez, Goya and others.
The Royal Palace
Source: Wikipedia
The Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest Royal Palace in Europe. It the official residence of the King of Spain. It is used for state occasions. The king chooses to lives in the more modest Palacio de la Zarzuela. The vast palace is richly decorated by artists such as Velazquez, Tiepolo, Mengs, Gaspini, Juan de Flandes, Caravagio and Goya. The Palace is open to the public.
Source: Wikipedia
Although not in Madrid, the Escorail is another royal palace which is well worth visiting. The palace is located 45 kilometres (28 miles) to the northwest of Madrid in the town of San Lorenzo de el Escorail. It was built by Philip II and is said to have been constructed using a floor plan based upon a description of King Solomon’s temple.
Plaza de Castilla
Torres Kio in Christmas 2008. Source: Wikipedia
The Puerta de Europa, or Torres Kio, are a pair of buildings, that rise are inclined at 15 degrees to the vertical. Each is 100 metres tall and contains 26 floors. When opened in 1996 these wer ethe first inclined skyskrappers in the world.
Source: Wikipedia
The Cuatro Torres Business Area
Source: Wikipedia
The tallest towers in Madrid were completed on this site in 2008. The tallest, the Caja Madrid Tower is 250 m tall and has 45 floors.
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One Comment
sexy sunshine143
Oct 2nd, 2009
Thanks for the tour. Great places to visit. My brother and his wife just came back from Europe. Some of the the names are familiar. ex. plaza mayor. The Prado, another good place to visit hopefully if I ever visit Spain. good work.
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