Madrid Spain Travel: A Sightseeing
Tour Convering the Main Attractions in Madrid
After a nice afternoon and evening in Salamanca,
I rose early on the morning of June 1, 2010 to leave
for my drive to Madrid from Salamanca. I had lucked
out with another gorgeous day and drove eastwards
through the Spanish Meseta and over the Sierra de
Guadarama Mountains into the capital Madrid. After
a fairly easy search I was able to locate the airport
and return my rental car shortly before noon.
Taking the subway from the airport to downtown Madrid
At the Madrid Airport tourist information booth
I asked about how to get to my hotel on the Gran
Via and was given the explanation that I just had
to catch the subway, change once at the Nuevos Ministerios
subway stop and then exit at Plaza de España,
one of Madrid's most important squares. I was really
impressed by the public transportation in Madrid:
it’s fast, efficient and inexpensive, and
you can even get downtown by subway right from the
airport.
The Alcazar Regis Hotel is a former apartment
Hotels in Madrid can be quite expensive, so quite
a few weeks ago I had booked a very reasonably priced
hotel over the Internet: the Alcazar Regis is a
simple 2-star property right on the Gran Via, Madrid's
most impressive grand boulevard. And at 29 Euros
a night it was a downright steal! What surprised
me is that this Madrid hotel was located on the
fifth floor of a building as part of a former apartment.
I had to take the undersized freight elevator in
the back of the ground floor to even get up to my
hotel. The Alcazar Regis features 14 bedrooms and
mine was a simple, single room with an ensuite bathroom,
a perfect base for me two days in Madrid.
My hotel room in Madrid: simple, yet central
After I had gotten settled I headed back out into
the city and grabbed a quick lunch on the go. I
was impressed by the sights of the Plaza de España
which was hustling and bustling with people. Several
locals had spread out in the shade underneath some
trees in a bid to get away from the stifling hot
Madrid weather. A monument to Spain’s most
famous writer, Miguel de Cervantes, dominates the
square while the north side is anchored by the Edificio
España, a 25-story high stepped back tower
built in the late 1940s and early 1950s, anchors
the Plaza on the north side. Formerly a hotel, the
building is now empty and being redeveloped for
luxury residences.
"
The Edificio España with the Cervantes memorial
in front
To get better acquainted with the attractions in
Madrid I embarked on one of the popular hop-on /
hop-off double-decker bus tours called Madrid Vision.
With a price of 17 Euros, I figured this was one
of the best ways of getting an overview of the city.
I managed to snag a seat in the front row of the
upper deck and had a perfect view of the buildings
and monuments passing by.
The Royal Palace of Madrid
One of the first major stops was the Palacio Real,
Spain’s Royal Palace, one of Europe’s
biggest palaces. Although this is the official residence
of the Spanish royal family, they actually do not
reside here and the palace is mostly used for ceremonial
purposes. Next to the palace is the Catedral de
la Almudena, Madrid’s Gothic Revival cathedral
that was consecrated very recently in 1993.
The cathedral La Almudena
A few minutes away our bus took as past the Plaza
Mayor, Madrid’s main square that was built
during the Habsburg period. From here it was not
far to another major square in Madrid: the Puerta
del Sol, one of Madrid’s busiest public spaces
and the place where the annual New Year’s
celebrations take place.
The Puerta del Sol, Madrid's most popular square
Following along the impressive early 20th century
buildings on the Calle de Alcala and the Gran Via,
we made our way to the Paseo del Prado, where Madrid’s
museum row begins. Madrid is a major centre of arts
and three important museums are located right here
in the “Golden Triangle of Art”: the
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum with its collection of
paintings by Old Masters and its Impressionist and
Post-Impressionist works; the Museo Reina Sofia
which is mainly dedicated to Spanish Art; and the
Museo del Prado, which houses one of the finest
collections of European art from the 12th to the
early 19th century.
The historic Atocha railway station
We turned at the Atocha Railway Station, an impressive
building from 1892 that was the victim of the Madrid
train bombings of March 11, 2004 which killed 191
people and wounded 1,800. Further north we passed
by Madrid’s largest public green space: the
Parque del Buen Retiro, and then made our way back
on the Gran Via, Madrid’s biggest shopping
street that is celebrating 100 years of its existence.
The opulent Gran Via, Madrid's most popular shopping
street
I now had returned to my starting point, so I exited
the bus and started walking. On the Calle de Alcala
a large number of oversized photos by an African
photographer had been set up. The expressive faces
and strong colours of this temporary outdoor gallery
were captivating and a great decoration of this
stately street.
One of the gorgeous oversize photos on Calle de
Alcala
From here I walked over on the pedestrian Calle
Arenal to the Royal Palace and the Opera House.
I also admired the interior of the recently completed
Cathedral La Almudena before I started walking back
east again on the Calle Miguel. By accident I stumbled
upon the Mercado San Miguel, a beautiful early 20th
century market building that is a popular gathering
spot. The locals and tourists alike obviously love
this spot to buy their fruits, vegetables, seafood
or meat here, or they simply come to hang out and
enjoy a coffee.
The Mercado de San Miguel
Then I hopped back on the sightseeing bus, stopped
off at the historic Atocha Train Station. Opened
in 1892 this is the second train station in this
location as the earlier one from 1851 had been destroyed
by fire. In 1992 the station’s concourse level
was completed redesigned and actually holds a 4000
square metre large garden now, flanked by several
restaurants and bars, while the commuter train platforms
are now underground. The adjacent new terminal building
now is home to the high speed AVE trains.
The interior of the Atocha railway station now holds
a huge garden
A few minutes further north I entered the Parque
del Buen Retiro, Madrid's scenic urban park. With
350 acres, Buen Retiro Park represents the “Lungs
of Madrid” and is a huge attraction for locals
and visitors. Formerly part of the royal gardens,
the park features many beautiful sculptures, monuments
and buildings like the Palacio de Cristal, a late
Victorian-era glass palace. A large pond, the Estanque,
is where families, couples and street artists congregate.
There are even row boats on the pond.
El Estanque, the big pond inside Buen Retiro Park
After a ride back downtown on the sightseeing bus
I enjoyed a delicious vegetarian dinner at a place
called Salad and Co. before I embarked on a sunset
walk through the Puerta del Sol area which was thriving
with locals, tourists and street performers. Downtown
Madrid is definitely a happening place, and Madrileños
are known for their ability to party until the morning.
Unfortunately I had to catch a bit more rest than
that. So as night fell I headed back to my hotel
on the grandly illuminated Gran Via for another
day of explorations in Madrid.
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