Madrid, Spain: Our Top 5 Tourist Attractions
Madrid es todo lo que pensó que sería y tal vez más. La gente, el ambiente, la ética del trabajo. Es divertido, la gente es amable y hay mucho que hacer. Estoy aquí todo el verano pero no voy a llegar a ver todo, pero entre mis trabajas, ver a mis amigos y ponerme al día con el sueño que he tenido la oportunidad de visitar algunos lugares fantásticos. Aquí hay unos de mis lugares favoritos…
Not even going to pretend my Spanish is remotely good enough to write the rest of this so just going to stick to English, check out these places in Madrid if you’re planning a trip. Been here a month you’d think my Spanish would be better right? It’s not.
Although English isn’t a second language here, you’ll find a handful of people do understand you, and everyone’s pretty friendly so always ask if you get lost. Madrid is an interesting city from an urban planning perspective (sorry I had to). The centre of town, where you’ll most likely be spending your time, runs along one straight road called Gran Via, and as long as you can navigate that, you’ve pretty much seen the best parts. However, as usual, some of the most interesting spots are often off the beaten track, and whilst I don’t claim to include them all here, I’ve listed a few you can’t leave Madrid without seeing. It’s not as culturally diverse as London, it’s not as architecturally insane as Barcelona, but it’s a cool city with even cooler people, I promise it’s actually liver than you think. Xo
1. Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
Obviously a treat for Real Madrid FC fans, or just football fans in general, the stadium tour actually proved a pleasant surprise for all of us. We saw the club’s collection of trophies, an exhibit of their history and how the club has developed, all that nonsense.
Yeah, anyways, you get to go on the actual pitch and take a picture with a hologram version of Ronaldo which is kinda hilarious so definitely visit the stadium if you can. A must see for footie fans and more of just a go for the fun of it for everyone else. It’s 20 euros per person (for adults) which is decent considering how long the walk around the stadium, exhibits, changing rooms and press conference areas is. There’s plenty of photo opportunities with a variety of audio and visual pieces to enjoy, and the view is great!
Nearest Metro: Santiago Bernabéu
2. Plaza de Toros
Although I don’t particularly approve of the sport, bull fighting is a cultural practice in Spain proving an integral historical theme, to be honest the building just looks pretty cool. It looks like it was probably a mosque at one point, but it’s a massive structure, absolutely great for an artistic back drop for pictures. Definitely a site to see!
Nearest station: Ventas
To learn more about bull fighting in Spain: http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/culture/bullfighting-history/
3. Palacio Real de Madrid
The royal palace was beautiful, situated at the top of sloping gardens next to the cathedral and a stone’s throw away from Plaza de España; the palace definitely stood out as perhaps the grandest structure the city has to offer. Whilst by no means comparable to Buckingham Palace, the palace truly takes centre stage in Madrid, with tours running all year round at the competitive 10euro mark.
It’s a great view, cool for pictures, and the entire view of the park below is pretty spectacular particularly in the summer. Moreover, they have accordion players and guitarists typically entertaining tourists outside, so the atmosphere is pleasant too. It’s a relaxing spot to chill and enjoy the view, but if you’re limited for time and don’t care too much about royal history, skip the tour. It’s not that deep.
Nearest station: Opera
Website: https://entradas.patrimonionacional.es/en-GB/informacion-recinto/6/palacio-real-de-madrid
4. Templo de Debod
This place is actually cool, I think we kinda found it by accident, but you’ll need to be walking towards Principe Pio from Gran Via and you’ll find it somewhere in between. It’s a popular tourist spot for architecture enthusiasts (like me?), a gift from Egypt dating back approximately 2,200 years ago. It officially opened to the public in 1972, and unlike most sacred monuments, you can actually climb all over it and get the pictures you really want.
The temple is surrounded by a mini moat which you can walk around to get inside of the structure, and as it overlooks greenery below; the steep footed location provides great views over the Casa del Campo. There’s a mini-telescope thing nearby if you want a closer look at the view, it’s 1 euro to use but honestly just zoom in on your camera app, same thing. In the distance you can also see the telefericos, Madrid’s cable car route over the park.
Nearest Station: Plaza de España
Website: http://www.mapsofworld.com/travel/blog/history/temple-of-debod
5. La Plaza Mayor y el Mercado de San Miguel
Situated just walking distance from Gran Via, Madrid’s greatest square offers impeccable views, unbeatable tapas and the chance to visit San Gines, Madrid’s world renowned churro bar. Personally I didn’t enjoy the churros that much but it might your cup of tea — they weren’t sweet enough for me but the chocolate was amazing! Next door you’ll find San Miguel market — the upperclass artisan food lovers dream. What’s great about this place is that you can visit simply for lunch but also for gourmet ingredients you might want to try at home — the combined lunch / shopping experience adds a homely ambience to the place.
Nearest station: Sol
