Almudena Cathedral
Almudena Cathedral sits directly opposite the Royal Palace and is Madrid's main cathedral, completed only in 1993. Free to enter (donations encouraged).
City in Spain
Madrid
17 things to see
Madrid’s Prado, Reina Sofía, and Thyssen museums all have free entry windows late in the day, the Retiro Park is perfect for a free afternoon, and in many bars a glass of wine comes with a free tapa. The city’s nightlife starts later and costs less than any other major Western European capital, and wandering Plaza Mayor and the old streets costs nothing. Day trips to Toledo and Segovia are easy by fast train. Spring and autumn dodge the fierce summer heat while keeping prices reasonable.
What to see
Things to do in Madrid
What each one costs, where the cost is known.
El Rastro
El Rastro is Madrid's Sunday morning flea market, sprawling through the streets of La Latina neighborhood from Plaza de Cascorro downhill to the Embajadores roundabout. Free to browse.
Gran Via
Gran Via is Madrid's most famous boulevard, a wide avenue of early 20th-century buildings, theatres, shops, and neon signs running from Calle de Alcala to Plaza de Espana. Free to walk.
La Latina Tapas Bars
La Latina is the neighborhood south of Plaza Mayor where Madrilenos go for Sunday tapas after the El Rastro market. Free to walk.
Mercado de San Miguel
The Mercado de San Miguel is a glass and iron market hall next to the Plaza Mayor with gourmet food stalls selling tapas, wine, oysters, pastries, and iberico ham. Free to enter.
Parque de El Capricho
The Parque de El Capricho is an 18th-century garden in the Alameda de Osuna district, the only garden in Madrid with three styles (French, Italian, English) in one park. Free.
Parque del Oeste and Rosaleda
The Parque del Oeste is a large park west of the city center with the Temple of Debod (already covered), the Rosaleda (rose garden with over 4,000 rose bushes, free), and a cable car (Teleferico, cheap) connecting the park to the Casa de Campo across the Manzanares River. Free to walk.
Plaza de la Villa
Plaza de la Villa is a quiet medieval square tucked between Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace, surrounded by some of the oldest civic buildings in Madrid. Free to visit, it offers a contrast to the grand plazas nearby and a glimpse of the city before the Habsburgs reshaped it.
Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor is Madrid's grand central square, a rectangular enclosed plaza surrounded by three-story residential buildings with balconies, arcaded shops, and the Casa de la Panaderia with its painted facade. Free.
Prado Museum
The Prado is one of the world's greatest art museums, housing Velazquez's Las Meninas, Goya's Black Paintings, Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, and masterpieces by El Greco, Titian, and Rubens. Entry is paid.
Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol is the geographic center of Spain (the "Kilometre Zero" plaque marks the point from which all Spanish road distances are measured), a busy semicircular square with the Bear and the Strawberry Tree statue and the clock tower that rings in the New Year. Free.
Reina Sofia Museum
The Reina Sofia is Spain's national museum of 20th-century art, housing Picasso's Guernica, Dali's surrealist works, and Miro's paintings. Entry is paid.
Retiro Park
Retiro Park is Madrid's central park, 125 hectares of formal gardens, a boating lake, the Crystal Palace (free exhibitions inside a glass and iron pavilion), rose gardens, and shaded paths. Free.
Royal Palace of Madrid
The Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest royal palace in Western Europe by floor area, with over 3,400 rooms. The exterior, the Plaza de Oriente, the Sabatini Gardens, and the Campo del Moro gardens are all free.
Santiago Bernabeu Stadium
The Santiago Bernabeu is the home of Real Madrid, one of the most successful football clubs in the world. Stadium tours are paid.
Temple of Debod
The Temple of Debod is a 2nd-century BC Egyptian temple in the Parque del Oeste, donated to Spain by Egypt in 1968 as a thank-you for helping save the Abu Simbel temples from flooding. Free.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
The Thyssen-Bornemisza completes Madrid's "Golden Triangle of Art" with the Prado and the Reina Sofia. Entry is paid.
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