With the first rays of sun, Madrid residents begin to fill the bars and cafés to enjoy their morning coffee and the trays of pastries, "churros" (flour fritters) and tasty bread. This is how the day begins in a cosmopolitan city that does not waste a single hour of its 24, whether night or day. As someone once said, "Madrid gets up early even when she has gone to bed late" – you decide when the day ends. With the following routes you can travel not only in space, but also in time.
Puerta del Sol Square[+]
All great journeys have a starting point. In Madrid this could well be Puerta del Sol Square (1) , the city’s centre for monuments, government and commerce. Calle Mayor street (2) and its adjacent streets, such as Pasaje de San Ginés (4) will, little by little, begin to give you the atmosphere of the city’s recent history, with traditional shops and cafés, as well as some of Madrid’s few Modernist buildings. We come to Plaza Mayor Square (4) , to the Madrid of Los Austrias, to the 16th and 17th centuries. This was the political and religious centre, the bullring, and now, on Sundays, there is a traditional stamp and coin collectors’ market held in the colonnade. Leaving the square by any of its gates you will begin to see signs of the court of Los Austrias: the medieval churches of San Nicolás (5) and San Pedro el Viejo (6) , with their Mudejar towers, and the Bishop’s Chapel (7), in Plaza de la Villa Square (8): Los Lujanes House and Tower, Cisneros House and the City Hall. Close by the Las Carboneras Convent was built (9) along with the La Encamación (10) and the Descalzas Reales monasteries (11) , as well as the House of Iván de Vargas (12) and the palaces of Santa Cruz (13) and Uceda (14).
The Almudena Cathedral [+]
In just a few short steps we find an area of monuments that bring together more than one thousand years of history. The remains of the Moorish defensive walls (15) , from the Moorish town of Magerit, when it was a defensive outpost of Toledo, founded between 852 and 856. Opposite them there is the neo-Roman crypt of the Almudena Cathedral (17) . The cathedral was consecrated by John Paul II in 1993.
Following Calle de Bailen we change centuries and ruling dynasty: the Bourbons. Around Plaza de Oriente Square (17) is the majestic Royal Palace (18th century) (18) and the Royal Theatre (19th century) (19). If you do not have time to visit the inside of the palace complex, at least enjoy the views from Plaza de la Armería Square (20), especially at dusk, or sit down in one of the cafés on the square to get your strength back before starting another section of this route – to a new century and a new city.
Gran Vía · Plaza de España Square [+]
A new urban area starts around Plaza de España Square (21) and the Gran Vía (22). An eclectic mix of important buildings, representative of the European and American schools of the beginning of the 20th century, some of which are half covered by advertising hoardings for cinemas and theatres, accompany you as you continue, enjoying the shop windows and bars in this important commercial street.
The Centre for Fine Art
From the moment you join Calle Alcalá street there are other important elements of Madrid architecture to be seen: San José church (23). the Metrópolis building (24), the Centre for Fine Art (25) y and the Baroque church of Las Calatravas (26). Not far away is the Royal San Fernando Academy of Fine Art (27), one of the city’s major art galleries, and the old Customs House, today the Inland Revenue building (28).
Linares Palace
Around the Cibeles Fountain (29), one of the city’s most emblematic symbols, you will find the Palaces of Buenavista (30) and Linares, now the "Casa de América" museum (31) , the "Palacio de Comunicaciones" (post office building) (33) and the Bank of Spain (33).
The Prado Museum [+]
From here you take Paseo del Prado avenue (34), a project designed by Ventura Rodríguez which still maintains the 18th century atmosphere of its origins, until you get to the Neptuno Fountain (35) alongside which you will find the Palace (36) and Ritz hotels (37), the Spanish Parliament Building (38), the Botanical Gardens (39) and the Prado Museum (40) which, along with the Thysen-Bomemiza Museum (41) and the Reina Sofía Art Centre (42) make up the city’s "Paseo del Arte" (Art Promenade).
The Retiro Park [+]
After lunch at one of the endless bars and restaurants, where you can find all kinds of regional, Spanish and international cuisine, make for the Retiro Park (43), perhaps heading up Cuesta de Moyano, permanent home to an antique and second-hand book market. The Retiro was built by Philip IV (1632), and can be enjoyed all year round, although it is especially famed for its cool temperatures in summer and its thousand and one shades of colour in autumn.
The National Library
On leaving the park and seeing Puerta de Alcalá Gate (Francisco de Sabatini 1778) (44) you will find yourself before one of the neighbourhoods built during the expansion of Madrid in the 19th century: Barrio de Salamanca (45). In some of its streets, such as Goya and Serrano, besides the Archaeological Museum, the National Library (46) and El Descubrimiento Square and Gardens (47), there are also the boutiques of some of the best Spanish and international fashion designers.
Highly recommended
When the shops close, the final part of the day begins. You can go for walks in any of the areas mentioned above, either before or after dinner, have a drink at one of the terrace bars on Castellana or Recoletos streets, go to a concert or a show at the National Auditorium, the Opera or Zarzuela (Spanish opera) Theatres, or visit one of the many cinemas, theatres, bars and clubs to make your day in Madrid last a little more than 24 hours. However, don’t forget that "Madrid gets up early even when she has gone to bed late".
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