Madrid’s numerous attractions and beautiful architecture offer things to do even for a longer vacation. See here for tips on 11 interesting places to visit!
1. Prado Museum
Madrid, the capital of Spain, is known for numerous high-quality art museums and galleries, which you should start exploring at the Museo del Prado art museum. The museum has the world’s largest collection of Spanish art, which includes, among other things Francisco de Goyán and Diego Vélazquezin work.
Opened for the first time already in 1819, the museum focuses especially on painting from the 16th to 19th centuries, and the museum’s collection consists of more than 8,000 paintings. In addition to Spanish art, the museum also exhibits masterpieces from other parts of Europe.
The museum is open every day of the year, except for a few public holidays. Admission for adults costs 15 euros. Children and students aged 18–25 can visit the museum for free.
Museo del Prado is also suitable for those traveling on a budget, as the museum’s permanent exhibitions are free to enter in the last hours of the evening.
2. The Royal Palace
Among the most spectacular sights of Madrid is the huge Royal Palace, one of the largest palaces in Western Europe. Built in the 18th century, the palace has up to 3,000 rooms, and some of the premises are also open to visitors.
Although the palace is called the official residence of the King of Spain, the current royal couple does not live in the palace premises.
The Royal Palace is open to visitors every day and tickets can be conveniently purchased online in advance. Admission for adults costs 12 euros and children get in for half price.
3. Retiro Park
The 130-hectare Retiro Park offers a pleasant escape from the hustle and bustle of Madrid. The park is a popular outdoor area and picnic spot for both locals and tourists visiting the city.
Retiro is full of different statues and monuments. The park’s most popular attractions are the mini pond, the luxurious Crystal Palace and various garden areas. You can also row a boat on the lake.
Retiro Park is open from early morning to late evening, but it is recommended to avoid walking alone in the park after dark.
4. Main Square
Plaza Mayor is a famous square and popular attraction in the center of Madrid. The design and construction of the original square started already at the end of the 16th century, when Madrid became the capital.
In 1790, the buildings were almost completely destroyed by fire, after which the square was rebuilt by the architect John of Villanueva under. In the center of the square stands a statue of King Filip III, during whose reign the original square was built.
Plaza Mayor is particularly atmospheric at sunset. There are numerous restaurants and cafes in and around the square, where you can sit and look at the beautiful architecture of the square.
Sometimes concerts and various events are also organized in the square. It’s a short distance from the Plaza Mayor to the San Ginés cafe, where you should stop by to enjoy some churros.
5. Almudena Cathedral
Almudena Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral dedicated to the city’s patron saint, Almudena. The construction of the cathedral started already in 1883, but it was inaugurated only in 1993.
king of Spain Felipe and the queen Joy was consecrated in Almudena Cathedral in 2004.
The construction work on the cathedral was interrupted several times and the building style also changed over the years, as the originally planned Gothic cathedral was no longer considered to fit the style of other buildings in the area in the 1940s. The look of the cathedral’s interior and artworks is more modern than many other Catholic cathedrals.
Almudena Cathedral is open every day of the week and visitors are asked for a donation of one euro, which is used for building maintenance.
6. Reina Sofia Museum
The Reina Sofia Museum focuses mainly on 20th-century Spanish art, and in the museum you can admire, for example Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalin works.
The most famous work in the museum is Picasso’s painting Guernica, completed in 1937. In addition to the permanent exhibitions, the museum has changing exhibitions that feature works by both Spanish and international artists.
The museum is located near the Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums, with which it forms the so-called golden triangle of art.
The Reina Sofia Museum is open every day except Tuesdays. Admission to the permanent exhibitions costs 12 euros for adults. Entrance to the museum is free from 19:00 onwards on weekdays and Saturdays and on Sundays from 12:30 to 14:30.
7. Debod Temple
The ancient Egyptian temple Temblo de Debod is one of the most fascinating sights in Madrid, although it is still unknown to many tourists.
In 1968, Egypt donated the temple to Spain because the building was in danger of being flooded. The temple was dismantled and transported to Spain, where it was reassembled in the Parque del Oeste.
The temple is open to visitors every week from Tuesday to Sunday. Entrance to the temple area is free, but if you plan to visit the inside of the temple, you should be prepared to wait a while, as only a limited number of people are allowed inside at a time.
8. Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Museum
In addition to Prado and Reina Sofia, Thyssen-Bornemisza is one of the city’s most important art museums. The museum’s collection began at the beginning of the 20th century, baron Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemiszan as a private collection and today the collection includes up to 1,600 works.
Thyssen-Bornemisza’s collection is an impressive collection of works by Western artists and includes, for example, works by Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Monet.
The museum’s permanent collection is open every day, but changing exhibitions may have different opening hours. Entrance to the museum costs 13 euros for adults, while children can enter the museum for free. On Mondays, admission to the museum is free for everyone.
9. Mercado de San Miguel shopping mall
The San Miguel market hall is a must-see in Madrid, especially for lovers of good food. The shopping center is located near the Plaza Mayor square in an impressive building with decorative metal elements.
Kauppahalli has a long history, as it started operating as a local food market as early as 1906. In Kauppahalli, visitors can taste delicacies typical of Madrid as well as food specialties from around Spain.
The San Miguel market hall is open every day from ten in the morning until about half past midnight.
10. Moncloa Lighthouse
There are many good vantage points in Madrid, one of which is the Faro de Moncloa tower. The 92-meter-high transmission tower and its viewing platform offer the opportunity to admire Madrid’s scenery from above.
From the viewing platform you can see, for example, the royal palace and Almudena Cathedral.
The viewing platform of Faro de Moncloa is open from Monday to Sunday. Admission costs about four euros for adults and two for children.
11. Santiago Bernabeu football stadium
A must-see for football lovers in Madrid is the Santiago Bernabeu football stadium, which is the home stadium of the Real Madrid football team.
You can visit the stadium on a tour organized inside. On the tour, you can visit, for example, the dressing rooms, the tunnel leading to the pitch and the stadium museum. The price also includes a photo with the Champions League trophy. The stadium tour costs 15–20 euros per adult, depending on whether you buy the ticket in advance online or on the spot.
If you want to go to the stadium to watch La Liga or the Champions League matches, you should start hunting for tickets as soon as the travel dates are known. Tickets are sold online or at the stadium ticket counter, but it can be difficult to get tickets, especially for games against top teams.
Read also: Beach polo travel guide to Madrid
Source: www.rantapallo.fi
