Madrid sightseeing

Visiting Madrid can turn out to be quiet a unique experience. Its beautiful culture and diverse architecture are a real delight. The city has a lot to offer, Museums (Open Air Sculpture Museum, Romantic Museum, etc.), Monuments (Catedral de la Almudena, Casa de Los Lujanes, Teatro Real, Palacio de las Telecomunicacionescan Plaza, etc.) and beautiful parks are surely to be found here.

One of the most eye catching buildings is El Palacio Real (Royal Palace) built under the Bourbons. With a façades of 130m long and 33m high, counting 870 windows and 240 balconies, 44 stairways and more than 30 principal rooms filled with artistic treasure it is certainly worth a visit. Also check out the Real Armorial, a two-story collection of medieval weapons and armor.

If you are searching for Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, as well as the sculpture of Cervantes, the Plaza de España is the place you need to be. As you are in the area, do not miss the visit to Templo de Debod, an Egyptian temple, and if you have time, enjoy the Sunset.

One of the main stops on any tourist visit is the cities best known plaza, Plaza Mayor. With it beautiful statue of Felipe III in the middle, and La Casa de la Panadería, an old bakery, this square was the host to bullfights, markets, symphonies and executions.

Probably the busiest place is Puerta del Sol, the "heart" of Madrid where you can find the famous statue of an oso (bear) climbing the madroño tree, representing the symbol of Madrid. Also here, in front of the Capital building is Kilometer Zero, a plaque showing the point where the measuring of national highways begins.

After visiting the Reina Sofia Museum of Art, Atocha RENFE, a large train station, must be visited for its palm garden complete with a pond full of small turtles.

If you are searching for nature and some time off, after visiting the Prado Museum (do not leave out Paseo del Prado), El Retiro park is the perfect place. With its large boating lake, a monument to commemorate the victims of the Madrid 3/11 terrorist bombings, the Forest of the Absent, and the Crystal Palace, you are in for a real treat. On the other hand if you are looking for a hectic place, try out the Gran Via, one of the busiest avenues in Madrid, and the location of the cinema district very similar to Times Square in New York City.

Madrid highlights