They built fountains, gardens, triumphal arches, and the new Royal Palace, all of which helped change the appearance of the city dramatically. From then on, the Bourbon kings would carry out comprehensive urban development plans aimed at adapting Madrid to the taste of European royal courts. A good way to see Hapsburg Madrid is booking an official guided tour. You can also visit the Mirador de la Cornisa viewpoint alvexo forex broker at the Royal Palace, which offers stunning views of the Campo del Moro Gardens and Casa de Campo. The simplicity of its buildings, the lack of an overall urban plan and the huge number of churches surprised foreign envoys and chroniclers.
Top Museums and Cultural Centres
Delve into Madrid’s exciting food scene with dinner at a Michelin-star restaurant, some tapas in a century-old taberna or a cocktail at a rooftop bar.
They’re the only Spanish monarchs, along with Queen María de las Mercedes of Orléans, whose funerary urns aren’t in the royal pantheon at El Escorial. However, it wasn’t until the eighteenth century that the Prado became the green boulevard lined with mansions that you can see today. Bourbon Madrid sprung up along the banks of the Fuente Castellana stream, where the present-day Paseo del Prado runs.
Almudena, derived from the Arabic al-mudayna that translates as ‘the little city’ or ‘citadel’, has been, since then, the name mostly used by Madrileños to refer to the Virgin. Close by, on Cuesta de la Vega, there’re parts of the old town walls that enclosed the medina or citadel. ‘Mayrit’ means ‘plenty of waterways’, which is why the city’s first recorded coat of arms read, ‘I was built on water / My walls are made of fire / This is my flag and my coat of arms’. Discover the city’s cultural scene Plus, enjoy a 10% discount at Tienda Casa de la Panadería, Madrid’s official souvenir store. Explore the places and characters that raised the city to the top of the art and culture scene.
- Explore the city’s unique heritage
- Plus, enjoy a 10% discount at Tienda Casa de la Panadería, Madrid’s official souvenir store.
- Ask our artificial intelligence assistant to find out.
- ‘Mayrit’ means ‘plenty of waterways’, which is why the city’s first recorded coat of arms read, ‘I was built on water / My walls are made of fire / This is my flag and my coat of arms’.
- They’re the only Spanish monarchs, along with Queen María de las Mercedes of Orléans, whose funerary urns aren’t in the royal pantheon at El Escorial.
Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace
Among the other pillars of the most modern face of the capital of Madrid, Madrid Rio stands out, an enormous recreational enclave – especially for the youngest – and cultural parallel to the Manzanares River, which, thanks to its renaturation, once again has a surprising fauna. Good examples of this include the current renovations in the Plaza de España and the improvement works being made to Gran Vía including the refurbished metro station with a replica of the original entrance built by architect Antonio Palacios at the start of the 20th century. In 2021, the Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of arts and sciences, also known as the Landscape of Light, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Buen Retiro Palace, erected under Phillip IV, was the first step taken to turn the eastern part of Madrid into the most stylish side of the capital. When Philip V, the first member of the House of Bourbon to rule as king of Spain, arrived in Madrid in 1701, the city was enclosed and criss-crossed by narrow lanes, filled with churches and austere palaces. The rooms dedicated to Medieval and Renaissance art in the Lázaro Galdiano Museum and the Prado Museum are well worth a visit too.
History of Madrid
Madrid boasts a fantastic assortment of museums matched by few other places in the world. Known as the “Royal Palace’s little brother”, the official residence of the House of Alba is now open to the public. This vibrant cultural centre is famous for its temporary exhibitions and its amazing vertical garden. An itinerary through the archways that adorn the streets of the Spanish capital. Enjoy the performing arts at Madrid’s many theatres, stages and concert halls. Look out for museums tucked away in old mansions and ancestral homes offering an intimate glimpse into history.
MADRID’S UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
A visit to the Spanish capital is a feast for the senses. Ask our artificial intelligence assistant to find out. An observation deck offering wonderful vistas of the city. Madrid boasts an array of public parks and gardens from Casa de Campo, Spain’s largest green space, to El Retiro Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hop onto a train or bus and leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind.
A Madrid-style Christmas
The Madrid headquarters of this Spanish cultural foundation located in Chamberí, where you can take part in all kinds of cultural and educational activities as well as exhibitions. The city’s old slaughterhouse, located at Madrid Río Park, has been transformed into a vibrant cultural megacomplex. Thousands flock to the city to attend the processions and to enjoy the atmosphere created by the trumpets, drums and the hundreds of religious worshippers’ bright and colourful attire (27 Mar-5 Apr 2026). In the seventeenth century, the aristocracy had chosen this area to build homes beyond the city’s boundaries. Between Cuesta de la Vega and Plaza Mayor, the heart of the city, you’ll find the traces of the old capital. Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Madrid was the capital of a huge empire; however, the buildings and landmarks didn’t truly reflect the city’s standing.
- Between Cuesta de la Vega and Plaza Mayor, the heart of the city, you’ll find the traces of the old capital.
- The city’s new official sightseeing and tourist travel pass.
- They built fountains, gardens, triumphal arches, and the new Royal Palace, all of which helped change the appearance of the city dramatically.
- The rooms dedicated to Medieval and Renaissance art in the Lázaro Galdiano Museum and the Prado Museum are well worth a visit too.
The city’s official sightseeing card includes a tourist travel pass. The city’s new official sightseeing and tourist travel pass. One particularly interesting area is Villaverde, where you will find Caja Mágica, a multidisciplinary venue that hosts sporting, cultural, entertainment, and corporate events; and La Nave, housed in the former Boetticher lift factory, which puts on numerous activities geared towards innovation, the dissemination of new technologies, training and employability, and collaboration between social agents to drive growth in the city. A fascinating introduction to the city’s main museums and their top masterpieces.
Madrid City Card
Venues hosting conferences, exhibitions and cultural events throughout the year. In July 2021, the area known as the Landscape of Light, which encompasses the Paseo del Prado and El Retiro Park, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Paseo del Arte is also lined with a number of other institutions and buildings well worth visiting. This area, which translates into English as Art Walk, is uniquely beautiful and is home to some of the world’s finest artworks. From medieval times to the Movida movement, explore the city’s rich history. Every year, this neighbourhood celebrates the arrival of Chinese New Year and is the epicentre of numerous activities.
Meanwhile, Madrid drew writers, artists, fortune hunters and members of the lesser nobility who hoped to prosper in the court. The churches and palaces were built in a simple style that had little in common with ostentatious courts elsewhere in Europe. On Calle Mayor, next to the Institute of Italian Culture, there used to stand the Grand Mosque and, most probably, as in every Muslim city, the souk. Madrid belonged to the Islamic world until 1083, when Alfonso VI of Castile took over the city. This is how the Arabs called this area on the central plain of the Iberian Peninsula, close to Sierra de Guadarrama, where King Phillip II of Spain later established the royal court. Explore the city’s unique heritage
Liria Palace
Madrid’s historic thoroughfare has become a more functional space, giving greater priority and freedom to pedestrians and cyclists. Madrid is a city that is constantly changing, and there are ongoing works to improve its viability and accessibility. In Madrid, the statues in the Botanical Gardens were brought to life, as they do in Radio Futura’s song (‘La estatua del Jardín Botánico’), and everyone wanted ‘to die a little bit every day on Gran Vía’, just like in Tino Casal’s lyrics for the song ‘Que digan misa’.
Art in Madrid
Discover the best spots in the city to enjoy Spain’s artistic expression par excellence. As Christmas trees and decorations light up streets and squares, Madrid celebrates everyone’s favourite holiday with a programme packed with cultural and leisure activities. The neighbourhood of Carabanchel on the other hand is the epicentre of emerging art, the focal point of a great creative and bohemian movement, currently encompassing more than 130 artists in around 40 studios, craft workshops, and creative spaces.
