Madrid

The Art Walk is probably one of the places in the world with the highest concentration of beauty. The Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofía museums (which can be visited together if you buy the Art Walk Card: 32 euros in 2023) are just over a kilometre away, along with other must-see institutions and buildings. In July 2021, the Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of arts and sciences, also known as the Landscape of Light, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

With 125 hectares and more than 15,000 trees, El Retiro Park is a green haven in the centre of Madrid. Some of its gardens deserve special attention: the Vivaces garden, the Cecilio Rodríguez gardens (classicist gardens with an Andalusian feel), the gardens of the architect Herrero Palacios, the Rose Garden (a collection of roses) and the French Parterre with the ahuehuete, the oldest tree in Madrid, which is said to be around 400 years old. Since 25 July 2021, it has been recognised, along with the Paseo del Prado, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Central and bustling, the Puerta del Sol square is one of Madrid’s emblematic landmarks. A meeting place for locals and a must-see for all tourists, it is the meeting point for several of the city’s historic and busiest streets, such as Mayor, Arenal, Alcalá and Preciados. The semicircular square, pedestrianised since August 2020, concentrates several of the most representative elements of this city, and is completing its renovation (started in March 2022).

Every Sunday the Rastro, Madrid’s most traditional market, spreads along the Ribera de Curtidores and the surrounding streets. It is said that if you can’t find what you are looking for at the flea market, it simply doesn’t exist.

The sculpture is located in one of the most impressive squares in the capital, in the heart of the Paseo del Arte..

Royal residence from Charles III to Alfonso XIII, the Royal Palace of Madrid offers us a journey through the History of Spain. Although it is not inhabited by the current monarchs, the site, managed by Patrimonio Nacional, is the official residence of the monarchs. Now you can also visit its fantastic Royal Kitchen, the most outstanding example, preserved to the present day, of historic kitchens in European royal residences.

The Plaza Mayor began to be built on the site of the old Plaza del Arrabal, where the town’s most popular market was located at the end of the 15th century, when the court of Philip II moved to Madrid. In 1617, the architect Juan Gómez de Mora was commissioned to establish uniformity in the buildings of this place, which for centuries has hosted popular festivities, bullfights, beatifications, coronations and also the occasional auto de fe.

It is one of the great emblems of the city of Madrid and the beginning of the touristic Paseo del Arte..

The Puerta de Alcalá, built for Charles III in the 18th century, is one of the city’s iconic monuments. Currently covered by a tarpaulin with his image due to restoration work.

Flanked by two emblematic buildings and recently remodelled, it is one of the most important tourist attractions in the capital.

The Círculo de Bellas Artes (CBA), founded in 1880 by a small group of artists, is one of the most important private cultural centres in Europe.