9 Top-Rated Places to visit in Madrid

With a total of 195 countries in the world, you might think one is insane for visiting the same location over and over again. Time flies and you never know what tomorrow may bring. Frankly speaking, I totally agree. But as the saying goes, for every rule there is an exception, and one of the places I love coming back to is Madrid.

You must be wondering why I have a soft spot for Madrid. I believe that everyone has a travel crush on a country, a city or a secret location, for me its Madrid. Compared to other European capitals, Madrid is usually overlooked by most travellers, but in reality it is an energetic, multifaceted metropolis that simply has everything a traveller could ever ask for; vibrant nightlife, fine restaurants, magnificent architecture, lush parks, world-class museums, a fascinating art scene, and warm-hearted locals.

If you want to find out for yourself whether you’ll also adore Madrid, continue reading to find out which are the 9 places you must have on your bucket-list when you first visit the city.

1.Puerta del Sol

Let’s start off with where Madrid’s heart beats and the ultimate centre of all (roads!) of Spain, “Puerta del Sol”. The “Gate of the Sun” is a bustling semi-circular square that functions as a junction for some of Madrid’s most historical and popular streets, such as Calle de Alcalá, Calle del Arenal and Calle Mayor. All three streets lead to plenty of attractions and landmarks, hence it’s an excellent starting point for exploring.

Originally, Puerta Del Sol was one of Madrid’s 15th century wall gates and as the city grew, the area became the ‘ground zero point’ for all major radial roads in Spain (km 0). Look for the stone slab on the pavement in front of the “Casa de Correos” building, because a foot-selfie with Spain’s Kilometre 0 is a must-do. Almost at the centre of the square and between the two large fountains, you’ll find an equestrian statue of King Charles III. The king “earned” his prestigious spot, due to his numerous positive reforms for the kingdom and most importantly because of the major makeover he gave Madrid, thus nicknamed “el rey alcalde” (“the mayor-king”). Across the square and close to the SOL metro station, you’ll find a statue of a bear nuzzling a strawberry tree. This cute dark statue is called “Oso y Madroño”, and it is the heraldic symbol of the city. Another great selfie-spot.

FUN FACT! The clock on top of Casa de Correos building is famous all over Spain due to its TV-Broadcast during the New Year’s countdown and the tradition of “eating the twelve grapes”. On December 31st, to welcome the New Year, Spaniards eat a grape with each of the last twelve chimes of the clock before midnight.

NOTE! The square was under construction when I last visited it (June 2022), so the arrangement of the square might be different in the near future.

2. Gran Via & Fuencarral Street

Madrid is a remarkably easy and pleasant city to walk around and wander its lively “barrios” (districts). Most of the city-highlights are in close distance from one another, but if you are not a big fan of walking, you can always take the underground (Metro de Madrid) which is reliable, clean and easily-accessible. I suggest you buy the Tourist Travel Pass, which can be used on all types of public transportation in the Region of Madrid (https://www.esmadrid.com/en/madrid-tourist-travel-pass).

It’s rather unthinkable to imagine Madrid without Gran Via and Gran Via without Madrid. The  “Great Way” is the city’s primary and most famous artery, one of its most elegant boulevards, with large shopping centres, refined stores, luxurious hotels with gorgeous rooftop bars and a showcase of early 20th-century architectural jewels. If you are a big fan of Spanish series and movies, you will definitely identify several of the buildings that lined the street. The Metrópolis, the Telefónica, the Casino, the Capitol and the Callao cinema are some of Gran Via’s most beautiful and iconic buildings. What’s more, the grand avenue starts at Calle de Alcalá (a street leading to Buen Retiro Park), and ends at Calle de la Princesa, a conjunction that marks the east side of the emblematic Plaza de España (both mentioned later on).

HINT: The emblematic building of Zara has been used as the set of the Antena 3 TV-series, Velvet.

When you are done with devouring all the action of Gran Via, walk towards Fuencarral Street, another one of Madrid’s bustling streets, that starts at Gran Vía and stretches all the way to Chamberí, the aristocracy’s district of the 19th and 20th centuries. This largely pedestrianised street, has countless modern fashion stores by some of Spain’s most important young designers, as well as shops mostly aiming at an urban and alternative audience. Fuencarral Street and the adjacent Malasaña – Tribal districts, is Madrid’s bohemian and hipster territory, a mecca for vintage looks and the underground culture of Spain’s capital. If you need a new cool pair of glasses, another tattoo, or you just want to buy a comic book, this is the place to visit.

3. Plaza Mayor

Even though most cities in Spain boast a Plaza Mayor, Madrid’s main square has a special allure and quite reasonably, it has been a reference point for all Madrileños for centuries. Inaugurated in 1620, it has been the setting for countless public events, from bullfights, processions, fiestas and theatrical productions to trials of the Spanish Inquisition and even executions. Its elegant arcades are home to traditional shops, the city’s main tourist office as well as various bars and restaurants. There are 3 important sites in the square: the 17th century equestrian statue of King Philip III, located in its centre, Casa de la Panadería, the square’s most eye-catching building due to its exquisite façade and El Arco de Cuchilleros, the most famous of the nine entrances to the Plaza. Because of the plaza’s long-standing charm and significance, it is often crowded and prices are a bit steep, yet not as much as other European cities’ main squares.

TIP: While you are there, don’t miss the splendid “Mercado de San Miguel”, situated a stone’s throw from the square. Once a local food market, today is one of the city’s best gourmet markets. Besides, it’s one of Madrid’s finest examples of cast-iron architecture. Trust me you want to check this one out!

4. The Art Triangle

Madrid is a haven for all types of art-lovers. Fortunately, the three most important museums are located at a short distance from each other, which has been very fittingly called “Paseo del Arte de Madrid”, meaning Madrid’s Art Walk. All three museums offer a delightful “walk” down the history lane of Western art, from the mediaeval to the contemporary era, where one can admire some of the most famous works of Velasquez, El Greco, Dalí, Picasso and Goya.

The noteworthy art triangle encompasses the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofía Museums. The Prado Museum is the most important art museum in Madrid and one of the world’s most visited ones. Its collection boasts mostly 16th to 17th-century artworks and includes masterpieces by El Greco, Goya, Velázquez, Rubens, Bosch and other renowned artists. There is even a version of the Mona Lisa, that was painted by one of Leonardo’s pupils! The Reina Sofia Museum is the new kid on the block (founded in 1992) and it contains a large collection of 20th century Spanish art, from artists such as Picasso, Miro and Dali and its highlight, is Picasso’s Guernica. Finally, the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum covers 17th to 20th-century art and holds paintings by Van Gogh, Kirchner, Hopper, Gauguin, Rubens and others. The three museum’s collections perfectly complement each other and are well-worth visiting.

TIP: If you want to visit all three museums, I recommend you purchase the “Paseo del Arte Pass”, that gives you full access to the museum’s permanent collections and even some of their temporary exhibitions. The Pass is valid for a year and you can buy it online from any of the three museum’s websites for 32 euros.          

5. El Retiro Park

Madrid is home to numerous parks and open green spaces. One of the largest and most popular parks, loved by both locals and visitors, is El Retiro Park. The vast park includes some very interesting gardens, sculptures, monuments, exhibition spaces and sports facilities. The heart of the park beats at its large artificial lake, where you’ll find people strolling around with an ice cream in hand, while listening to the serene sounds of the musicians that gather along the lake’s banks. The younger crowd tends to congregate at the steps of the grand monument of Alfonso XII that pompously watches over the lake, while the more romantic ones rent a rowing boat and lazily spend their time rowing around the lake. One of the park’s other true favourites, as well as mine, is “El Palacio de Cristal”, the Glass Palace, currently an exhibition hall of the Reina Sofía Museum. Built in 1887 as a greenhouse to house exotic plants for an exhibition on the Philippines (then a Spanish colony), it is a magnificent glass pavilion hidden among the park’s tall trees and another one of the country’s finest examples of cast-iron architecture.

6. The Royal Palace

Spain once ruled “the empire on which the sun never sets”, so it comes as no surprise that the Royal Palace of Madrid is one of the biggest in the world. With over 135,000m2 and 3,418 rooms, the Palace was inspired by sketches made by Bernini for the construction of the Paris Louvre. Completed in the mid 18th century, at the apogee of the Spanish Empire, today, even though it’s still the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, it is not inhabited by any royals and it is used only for state ceremonies.

There is an official tour that takes you through 50 of the palace rooms, but if you want to explore it at your own pace, you can always take the self-guided tour. The Palace’s main attractions are the Main Staircase, the Throne Hall, the Royal Kitchen which is the oldest well-preserved kitchen of a European royal residence, the Hall of Halberdiers, the Gasparini Room, the Painting Gallery and the Royal Chapel, which is home to a collection of rare string instruments made by the legendary Antonio Stradivari. Undoubtedly one of the palace’s best kept treasures is The Royal Armoury. It houses weapons and armour owned by the kings of Spain and other members of the royal family since the 13th century and along with the Vienna collection it is the largest European collection of its kind. The palace is also renowned for its wealth of artworks, as its collections include paintings by Caravaggio, Francisco de Goya, Sorolla and Velázquez, and frescoes by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.

TIP: Don’t miss the “Changing of the Guard”, held every Wednesday and Saturday and if you are lucky, the grandiose “Solemn changing of the Guard” that takes place on the first Wednesday of each month (except January, August and September), both ceremonies weather permitting.

7. The Almudena Cathedral

Compared to most cities of Spain and the Spanish-speaking world, Madrid’s cathedral is not as old or even as tall, but nonetheless, its architectural style is a fascinating fusion of Neo-Classical (facade), Neo-Baroque (dome), Neo-Romanesque (Crypt) and Neo-Gothic (interior). Even though plans for a cathedral were discussed as early as the 16th century, several changes and halts led the Almudena Cathedral to finally be completed in 1993 exactly opposite of the Royal Palace. Both the ceiling and the stained-glass windows are decorated with vivid colours and straight lines, while its chapels and statues were decorated by several contemporary artists and vary from historical revivals to “pop-art” decor. Below the Cathedral there is a stunning Crypt that features over 400 columns, each crowned by a different capital. It has exactly the same dimensions as the cathedral above and is considered to be the largest in Spain. The Crypt is also the resting place of some of Spain’s most noble and influential families.

8. Plaza de España

The Plaza de España is one of the largest squares in Spain (70,000 m2), and after its recent revamp to make it greener and more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians, it has quickly recovered its old splendour as one of the city’s most popular recreational spaces. The square’s most prominent feature is the magnificent Monument of Cervantes, which depicts the famous Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes overlooking two sculptures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, the characters from his novel Don Quijote de la Mancha. The square is also well-known for two other of the city’s landmarks: the skyscrapers of Torre de Madrid, for some years the tallest concrete skyscraper in the world, and the Neo-Baroque Edificio España, which houses the luxurious Riu Plaza España Hotel. Plaza de España is flanked by a number of cafes, restaurants, theatres and stores and after its renovation, it is perfectly connected with other exceptional public spaces like the Plaza de Oriente, the Sabatini Gardens, the Campo del Moro and Madrid Río Park.

9. Temple of Debod

I left one of my favourite locations for last, as it is quite unique and unexpected. Not far from the Royal Palace and Plaza de España, one will come upon an Egyptian Temple. Yes, there is an authentic ancient Egyptian Temple right in the centre of Madrid and is called “Templo de Debod”. The 2nd century BC temple was dismantled, shipped to Spain and rebuilt where it’s located today, at the Cuartel de la Montaña Park. Before getting any nasty thoughts in your head about how the Spaniards got their hands on the temple, bear in mind that it was donated by the Egyptian state back in 1968, as a sign of gratitude for the help provided by Spain in saving the Abu Simbel temples, from the consequent floods caused by the construction of the Aswan Dam. If you are a fan of ancient Egypt, access to the temple is open to the public and free of charge. The best time to visit it is during sunset, when the sun setting behind the temple creates stunning reflections on the surrounding pools and an eerie atmosphere that you must experience.

TIP: If you still have time and more importantly energy, you can take a brief walk behind the Temple’s Park and towards Puente del Rey, a bridge that connects the two banks of Manzanares river, to reach one of the entrances to the magnificent Casa De Campo Park, Madrid’s largest park.

Needless to say, there are countless other things to see and do in Madrid, and every time I visit, I discover a charming square I’ve never come across or a fascinating art store hidden behind a museum, I’ve been to at least three times, or a bustling bar street located exactly below my AirBnB rental. In this article I tried to cover a blend of some of the most important and interesting things that I believe someone has to visit on a first encounter with the Spanish capital. I hope you manage to visit most of them and like them as much as I have!