Sightseeing & Landmarks in Madrid

Once the centre of Old Madrid, the Plaza Mayor or the Main Square now lies in the very heart of Madrid city. It was built during 1580-1619 and is only a few blocks away from the city's Puerta del Sol. The square is a place for people to come together and have a good time, shop around, wander through the connecting streets and eat at some of the best restaurants in the city.

Address: Plaza Mayor, 28012 Madrid, Spain.

Gate of the Sun (Spanish: Puerta del Sol) is also called as Puerta del Sol and is, in fact, a large public square in Madrid. It is the city's busiest and well-known squares and is connected to a large number of Spanish roads. This popular square is also the iconic place where large crowds gather together and traditionally eat the 12 grapes till midnight for good luck in the upcoming year, right since 1952.

Address: Plaza de la Puerta del Sol, s/n, 28013 Madrid, Spain.

The Royal Palace of Madrid (Spanish: Palacio Real de Madrid) is quite a well-known tourist attraction of Madrid city. The Palace contains over 3418 rooms and has an astounding area of 135,000 sq.m. Although this site is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, it is only used for state ceremonies and to host events involving international matters and dignitaries.

Address: Calle de Bailen, s/n, 28071 Madrid, Spain.

The Temple of Debod (Spanish: Templo de Debod) is a unique attraction in Madrid. This landmark is actually an ancient Egyptian temple that was dismantled and then reassembled back in the city. The temple was donated to the country of Spain in 1968, and now proudly stands near the Royal Palace of Madrid. It is also one of the very few historic attractions that are erected outside of Egypt.

Address: 28008 Madrid, Spain.

Santiago Bernabeu Stadium (Spanish: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu) seats over 80,000 people in capacity and has been home to the Real Madrid football team since 1947. As a result, this stadium is also one of the popular football venues in the city, having witnessed countless historic matches throughout its inception.

Address: Av. de Concha Espina, 1, 28036 Madrid, Spain.

The Basilica of San Francisco el Grande (Spanish: Real Basilica de san Francisco el Grande) is a Roman Catholic church. It is located in the La Latina district of the city in the Barrio neighbourhood. This convent complex is a main attraction of the city, built from 1761-1784. The dome of the church, which is 108 feet in diameter is one of the main attractions inside the church, besides the 17th and 19th-century paintings exhibited.

Address: Calle San Buenaventura, 1, 28005 Madrid, Spain.

A famous neo-classical monument erected in 1778 by Italian architect Francesco Sabatini is the Alcala Gate. The city landmark is essentially a large gate, and stands tall at the city centre at the junction of Madrid city's top streets; Calle de Alcala, Calle de Alfonso XII and Calle de Serrano. This granite man-made structure is located very close to El Retiro Park, for anyone to enjoy a short walk.

Address: 28014 Madrid, Spain.

Almudena Cathedral (Catedral de la Almudena) is a well-known Catholic church of Madrid and it is a seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid. The neo-Gothic interior of the church is unique and modern, and it also has several paintings and mosaics all throughout, featuring popular designers of the ages.

Address: Calle de Bailen, 10, 28013 Madrid, Spain.

Calle de Cava Baja is a historically popular street located in the La Latina district in Madrid. The street is beautiful, surrounded by colourful buildings and is essentially dipped in culture because of the ever-popular cheerful atmosphere of the people. Some of the city's best traditional tapas bars, restaurants and even some popular local wine and food shops are all located around this street.

Address: 28005 Madrid, Spain.

One of the oldest boulevards in the Madrid city of Spain is the Paseo del Prado. The street forms the southern end of the city's central axis, and runs south all the way from Plaza de Cibeles and the Plaza del Emperador Carlos V. This avenue is a city landmark and has three museums; The Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofia Museum encompassing it's very densely tree-lined area.

Plaza de Espana, the Spain Square is essentially a large square and a popular tourist destination in Madrid city and is located at the western end of Gran Via. The square itself features the two prominent skyscrapers in Madrid along with the monument to Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. This wonderfully designed Plaza is also a short walk away from Madrid city's Royal Palace for visitors to check out.

Address: 28008 Madrid, Spain.

The Cibeles is very well known for the Cibele Palace or the City hall and the area also has a fountain of the same name. The Plaza itself is famous for its neo-classical style of architecture and marble sculptures which make it very well known in Madrid city. It was originally called Plaza de Madrid, and later changed to Plaza de Castelar in 1990 and now it is known as Plaza de Cibeles.

Address: Plaza Cibeles, 28014 Madrid, Spain.

Among the many quirky landmarks in Madrid city, is the Statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree (Spanish: El Oso y el Madrono). The sculpture refers to the coat of arms of Madrid and is located in the historic centre of the capital, on the eastern side of Puerta del Sol. The sculpture designed by Antonio Navarro Santafe was inaugurated in 1967, is made of stone and bronze and weighs nearly 22 tonnes.

Address: Puerta del Sol, 1, 28013 Madrid, Spain.

Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas or simply Las Ventas is the famous bullring of Madrid city, and its name is often shortened and called as Las Ventas. The bullring has a capacity of roughly 24,000 people and was opened in 1931, June 17. The structure has a Moorish architecture and was designed by Jose Espeliú. This bullring is open to the public and visitors to enjoy the bullfighting from March until October from 6.00pm every Sunday or on holidays.

Address: Calle de Alcala, 237, 28028 Madrid, Spain.

The Fountain of Neptune or simply the Neptune fountain is one of Madrid city's most beautiful public fountains. It is located on Plaza de Canovas del Castillo; also called as Plaza de Neptuno and is made entirely up of white marble. The design is purely neo-classical designed by the architect Ventura Rodriguez depicting the god of the sea, holding the trident; and inspiration taken from the Greek mythology.

Address: Plaza Canovas del Castillo, s/n, 28014 Madrid, Spain.

Plaza de la Villa is one of Madrid city's most beautifully preserved historic monuments. This top-visited attraction is located right next to the Puerta del Sol Gate and is also one of the medieval centres in Madrid city. After a historical struggle, the plaza adopted its name from King Henry IV of Castile, and has, since then been an important landmark of Madrid surrounded by a flower garden.

Address: Plaza de la Villa, s/n, 28008 Madrid, Spain.