This was part of A day in Madrid 🇪🇸 🔗.
I arrived at Plaza del Callao to join the Free Walking Tour in Madrid at 3:00 PM. This bustling square is a hub of Spanish cinema and culture, surrounded by iconic Art Deco buildings. We started our walk towards the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales, a former royal palace turned into a monastery. It is famous for its museum housing holy relics and masterpiece works by Titian, Rubens, and Caravaggio, where we learned about the deep religious history of Spain and Madrid.
We passed by the Teatro Real, Madrid’s premier opera house, renowned for its grand neoclassical design and world-class acoustics. Standing proudly in front is the Estatua de Isabel II, dedicated to the queen who inaugurated the theater in 1850. On the way to Plaza de Oriente, we admired the Monumento ecuestre a Felipe IV, a technical masterpiece where the bronze horse is famously balanced on its two hind legs.
Next, we walked to Plaza de la ArmerÃa, the vast parade ground that sits between the monarchy and the church. Here, we had time to see the Palacio Real de Madrid, the largest functioning royal palace in Europe, and the Catedral de Santa MarÃa la Real de la Almudena, with its unique Neo-Gothic interior that stands in stark contrast to its neoclassical exterior.
We passed the Iglesia Catedral de las Fuerzas Armadas, a beautiful Baroque church that serves as the cathedral for the Spanish military. This led us to Plaza de la Villa, one of Madrid’s best-preserved medieval squares. Here, we saw the Casa de la Villa, the former city hall, and the Torre de los Lujanes, a 15th-century Gothic tower that is one of the oldest buildings in the city.
On our way to the grand Plaza Mayor, our guide told us about Sobrino de BotÃn. Founded in 1725, it holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest restaurant in continuous operation and was a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway. We then entered the massive cobblestone square of Plaza Mayor, surrounded by uniform red-brick buildings and ornate balconies.
From Plaza Mayor, we passed the Fuente de la Plaza Pontejos, a charming historic drinking fountain that has served the neighborhood for generations. We then reached Puerta del Sol to see the famous Bear and the Strawberry Tree (El Oso y el Madroño) statue, the official symbol of Madrid that appears on the city’s coat of arms.
We soon reached Plaza de Santa Ana, a historic center for the literary world. Here, we saw the Monumento a Calderón de la Barca, honoring the great Golden Age dramatist, and the Teatro Español, which has hosted performances on this site since the 16th century. Our final stop was Plaza de las Cortes, where we saw the Congress of Deputies, guarded by its two iconic bronze lions.
This was a lovely afternoon walk through Madrid, and there is certainly much more to explore when you have more time!