Madrid

Today I’ll be giving you a little advice and a short guide about Madrid.

Madrid is the capital of Spain, as you already know from my post about the autonomous regions. It sits in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula and for more than 500 years has been the centre of political power in Spain, with both Congress and the Senate (the Spanish equivalent of The House of Representatives, something that you must go and see when you visit) being based in the city.

Madrid is a modern city. Although many Habsburg (the Austrian kings of Spain in the 14th and 15th centuries) palaces still remain, Madrid is full of many other attractions from theme parks to one of the biggest zoos in Europe, and above all else, a vibrant nightlife.

As we will see, Madrid offers millions of places to visit and lose yourself in, from ‘La Plaza de España’ to ‘La Casa de Campo’ there are plenty of things to see, eat and enjoy in the Spanish capital.

However, moving away from the other city guides I have already posted in this blog, in this post I am simply going to list what you have to go and see, and although you may well be able to see it all in one day, hopping on and off of the metro, it is better to prioritise what you really want to see, and when you want to see it.

So, without any further delay, let’s begin…

La Puerta del Sol

It is one of the most famous squares in Spain, let alone Madrid. It’s also where the New Year’s Celebrations (Las Campanadas de Fin de Año) take place, where the Second Republic was established in 1931 and where as well, on the 15th of May 2011, thousands of students began a protest against the welfare cuts in Spain. You will also find some of the capital’s most significant places and important buildings here too.

Estatua del Oso y el Madroño

A symbol of Madrid, one that can be found on Madrid’s coat of arms. It sits at the entrance into Alcalá road, towards the right as you face the clock and just below the ‘Tío Pepe’ advert. If you happen to pass by in your free time, you'll be sure to see lots of people taking a tonne of pictures, in very strange ways.

El Reloj de la Casa de Correos

It is here where they ring the New Year’s Bells, and have been doing so since 1962. This celebration is also something that I would like to experience for myself one year, whether it be at the end of the year or even the end of the university calendar, a very important date for any Erasmus exchange students visiting the capital or its surrounding towns and something usually celebrated in either the last week of November or the first week of December.

Kilómetro Cero

Spain has a radial motorway system, which means that all the main roads and motorways start in the capital, Madrid. Here you can find the point where the whole thing starts. You will also find a peculiar tile on the ground that you have to take a photo of. Here, like with with all things you will see in Madrid, you’ll be even more camera-happy than the Chinese tourists!

La Plaza Mayor

Located in the heart of Madrid, a few metres from La Puerta del Sol and the Palacia Royal (Royal Palace). The square is surrounded by a series of archways and buildings, and is frequently visited by tourists looking to have a typical “café con leche in Plaza Mayor”, a phrase made famous by Ana Botella’s attempt to speak English during Madrid’s bid to hold the Olympic Games in 2020.

In La Plaza Mayor, just as there were in La Puerta del Sol, there are many interesting things to see. However, I am going to highlight three places in particular that are more than worth a visit.

• Estatua de Felipe III: given to the King of Spain as a gift by the Duke of Florence.
• Casa de la Panadería: now the most important building in the capital as well as being the first to be built. In the past, it was the best bakery in Madrid and was visited by the upper classes who came to buy sweets and cakes. It is believed that even when King Phillip V arrived in France he demanded that the bakery in Madrid would be in charge of providing bread for the entire Royal Palace.
• El Arco de Cuchilleros: This archway is the most well known of all nine entrances to La Plaza Mayor. It’s name comes from the connecting street, ‘La Calle Cuchilleros’ (Cutlers Street).

El Retiro

It is the most important park in Madrid, it’s like Castrelos is to Vigo (a park I have already written about in this blog), and its full name is ‘Parque del Buen Retiro'. In the park there are thousands of places to visit and activities to enjoy: puppet shows, live music, palm readers and fortune tellers being some of the most common sights.

In the Park you can also find:

• El Estanque Artificial: The artificial pond is one of the first things you see as you enter through the Alcalá entrance. You can rent small rowing boats or do a collective tour out on the pond, something really romantic to do with your other half or a good way to spend a lot of money doing not much... each to their own I suppose.
• Monumento a Alfonso XII: This rather striking memorial can be found along the banks of the pond I mentioned above. On Sundays there are usually lots of people gathered around the memorial, playing instruments and dancing in a number of different styles, Capoeira being one of them.
• Palacio de Cristal: built at the same time as the artificial pond, El Palacio Cristal (or Crystal Palace) usually has fleeting exhibitions and although they might not be to everyone's taste, they always seem to have plenty of people in attendance. Also, interestingly enough, when it was first built it was in fact used as a greenhouse. And of course, whether it is open to the public or not depends entirely on what time of the year you go and visit.
• Paseo de la Argentina: more commonly called as the ‘Paseo de las Estatuas’, a more fitting name given it is in fact a trail lined with statues dedicated to Spanish Kings. The statues were initially commissioned to decorate Fernando VI’s Royal Palace. A great little walk to go on when the weather is nice.

Finally, throughout the park there are thousands of mimes, puppet shows and people dressed up as children’s TV stars. Also, like any decent park, there are swings, slides as well as lots of pigeons that you are free to feed with little bits of bread should you want to.

To be continued...

Tomorrow I’m going to write more about the must-see places you have to visit when you are here in Madrid.

If you want more information about Madrid, you can read our post about the best universities of the city.

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