Highlights of Madrid

Madrid, the Spanish capital, is situated in the geographical centre of the peninsula, on the Meseta Castellana, the Castilian Plateau, around 650 metres above sea level. With more than three million inhabitants, and more than seven million in the wider Comunidad de Madrid, it is one of the liveliest and most exciting cities in Europe. Selecting the best of the Madrid highlights to feature is a challenge for any author. Barcelona has La Sagrada Família and Bilbao has the Guggenheim, easy choices. For Madrid, football fans might choose the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, while for those with a passion for the arts, the Prado on the historic Paseo del Prado, with its great collection of European art, may be the pick. For Odyssey travellers, your Program Leader and local guides will have their own favourite Madrid highlights to share on a small group sightseeing program for mature travellers. Madrid is on two of our small group tours: the Small Group Tour of Spain & Portugal spends four nights here, from Day 7 to Day 10, and Discover Spain begins here.

History of Madrid

Madrid has been inhabited since the Stone Age, but it developed as a medina (Arab town) in the 9^th century, growing around the alcazar or castle overlooking the Manzanares River. It was mentioned in historical documents as “Majerit” in 932 AD when the Christian forces of Ramiro II of Leon attacked the city. It was eventually captured from the Muslims by Alfonso VI of Castile and Leon in 1083. Many kings spent time in this city, and in 1309, the Cortes, precursor to the Spanish Parliament, was first called in Madrid.

An earthquake damaged the alcazar in 1466, and various kings, notably Charles I and Philip II, rebuilt and extended the palace and its fortifications. By the 17^th century, Madrid had grown to a city of 100,000.

When Charles II of Spain died childless in 1700, the leadership vacuum threatened the balance of power in Europe as his closest possible heirs belonged to the Austrian Habsburg dynasty and the French Bourbon families. The War of the Spanish Succession began in 1701 and lasted until 1714. Madrid sided with the Bourbon Philip V, who eventually acceded to the throne. (Barcelona, on the other hand, sided with the Habsburgs and was subsequently sacked by the new king’s forces.)

Philip V set about developing his new capital, building under his patronage the Royal Spanish Academy, the National Library, and the Royal Academy of History. He also began building the new Royal Palace after the alcazar was destroyed by fire in 1734.

Illustration of the Royal Palace of Spain in Madrid.

Charles III continued expanding the city, setting up, among others, the Royal Botanic Garden and the Puerta de Alcalá, a monumental arch built in 1778 at what was then the city’s eastern entrance, in the present Plaza de la Independencia. He also commissioned a building, originally meant to be a natural history museum that was to turn into the Prado, a major art gallery, under the reign of Ferdinand VII.

The last king of Spain to live in the Royal Palace was Alfonso XIII, who left Spain in 1931 after municipal elections led to the proclamation of the Second Republic. The Spanish Constitution of 1931, calling for the democratic election of Spain’s rulers, was legislated in Madrid. The Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936, and Madrid, a bastion of the Republican forces, was besieged and bombed by Franco’s Nationalist forces. The Nationalist forces were supported by Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, and Madrid eventually fell in March 1939.

Following Franco’s death and the end of his dictatorship in 1975, Madrid was confirmed as Spanish capital in the 1978 constitution. The 1978 constitution also established Spain as a parliamentary monarchy, with the monarch as head of state and the prime minister as head of government.

Must-Visit Places in Madrid

Royal Palace (Palacio Real)

The Royal Palace of Madrid, Spain

The first stop is the Royal Palace or Palacio Real, which grew from a Moorish alcazar to the largest functioning royal palace in Europe. Sitting on 135,000 square metres with almost 3,500 rooms, the Palacio Real is now used mainly for state ceremonies and official functions. The royal family now resides in the more modest La Zarzuela Palace northwest of Madrid. The Royal Palace is open to the public and is worth a visit for its interior filled with paintings and beautiful décor.

El Retiro Park and City Centre Landmarks

Crystal Palace in Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain

Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain

On the eastern side of the centre, beside the Prado, is the Parque del Buen Retiro, or El Retiro (“Park of the Pleasant Retreat”), which once belonged to the Spanish monarchy but is now a public park. Back towards the Royal Palace, in the old city centre, is the Plaza Mayor, a major public square in the heart of Madrid, and Mercado San Miguel, a covered marketplace established in 1916.

Puerta del Sol

The Puerta del Sol is the main public square in Madrid. On its south side stands the Casa de Correos, the office of the President of the Community of Madrid.

The Puerta del Sol or “Sun Gate” is Madrid’s most popular square, located next to the Casa de Correos or the city’s original post office building that is now the seat of the regional government of the Community of Madrid. Beneath its wall is the zero-kilometre stone, which is a basis for numbering Spain’s roads and measuring distances in the country. This is also where the people of Madrid gather on New Year’s Eve to hear the clock at the top of the Casa de Correos strike midnight.

Museo del Prado

View of the entrance of the Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain. In the foreground is a statue of the famous Spanish painter, Diego Velázquez.

When the building commissioned by Charles III as a natural history museum finally opened as a museum in 1819, Ferdinand VII filled it with artwork from the royal collection, bringing the works together from scattered palaces. This building became the Museo del Prado, Madrid’s major art gallery, which holds artwork from artists such as Rembrandt, Raphael and Hieronymus Bosch, and the Spanish painters Diego Velázquez and Francisco Goya.

Other nearby Spanish art museums are the Reina Sofía, renowned for its collection of modern art; and the Thyssen-Bornemisza, a former private collection transcending all periods from the Middle Ages to the present.

What impresses the visitor most of all is the experience of the city’s intense night life, which goes on unabated till dawn: cafés, tapas bars, discothèques, live theatre, opera, ballet, zarzuela, flamenco music. Madrid cuisine with its hearty dishes is also an incredible showstopper.

Madrid’s Cibeles Fountain on a sunny day.

Of course, there are other Madrid highlights to consider on any sightseeing tour of the Spanish capital. The Puerta de Toledo, a gate built in honour of Ferdinand VII, is worth a visit. Then there is the ever-popular Plaza de Cibeles, a square whose neoclassical marble Cibeles Fountain has become an iconic symbol of Madrid. Plaza de Cibeles sits at the intersection of Calle de Alcala, Paseo de Recoletos and Paseo del Prado.

Madrid highlights on our small group tours

On our Small Group Tour of Spain & Portugal, Madrid is the base from Day 7 to Day 10, arriving from Burgos late in the afternoon. On Day 8 a local guide leads a full day of the city’s highlights, including entrance to the Royal Palace and the Museo Reina Sofía, and an evening tapas tour ends with a walk to Mercado San Miguel. Day 9 is a walking tour of Toledo (see also our guide to Toledo, Spain). Day 10 opens at the Prado; the rest is free. On Day 11 we leave for Salamanca via the Royal Monastery of El Escorial and the walls of Ávila. The whole route is in our Spain and Portugal itinerary.

Discover Spain, a 21-day tour of Spain alone, begins in Madrid. Its first full day takes in the Plaza Mayor, the Mercado de San Miguel, the outside of the Royal Palace, the Prado and Retiro Park, and the following days include an evening tapas tour and a day trip to Segovia before the route turns south.

Articles on Spain and Madrid published by Odyssey Traveller.

The following list of articles published by Odyssey Traveller for mature travellers enjoying a small group tour as a couple or solo traveller that may also help to maximise your knowledge and enjoyment of Madrid when visiting:

• 15 of the best places in Spain to visit.
• Travel Notes for Barcelona
• Ten of the best books published on Spain
• Ten of the best art galleries in Europe to visit.
• Spain and Portugal tours: a guide to the journey
• Questions About Spain

External articles to assist you on your visit to Madrid.

• Lessons About the Moors in Spain
• Monarchs of Spain
• A Brief History of Spain
• Spanish Civil War
• Royal Palace
• History of Madrid