Madrid is an exciting destination
to visit in Spain. One of the most popular cities in the country, Madrid
offers great scenes and sights to tourists. Madrid is capital of Spain
and a fascinating city to stroll around with magnificent architecture.
There are a number of museums, art galleries, shopping streets and parks,
which are a must visit on your tour of Madrid. Some of the popular tourist
attractions in Madrid include:
Prado Museum (Museo del
Prado)
The Prado is one of the
world’s greatest galleries and is Madrid's premier tourist attraction.
Prado prides in displaying the works by Goya, El Greco and Velázquez,
the great Spanish painters as well as celebrated works by Bosch, Botticelli
and Rubens amongst others. Such is the wealth of art at the Prado that
it is only possible to display about 1,500 works of its 9,000-piece collection
at any one time. It is best to fillip through the pages of the weekly 'Guia
de Ocio' magazine to check whether any special exhibition is on display
during your visit. |
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Puerta del Sol
Perhaps it is around Puerta
del Sol that you will be staying on your Madrid tour. It is not only the
geographical centre of the city but also the centre of Spain. Look out
for the marker on the pavement in front of the Ayuntamiento (Council) building
as all road distances in Spain are measured from this spot (Kilometer Zero).
 
Puerta
Del Sol, Madrid, Spain
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‘Puerta’ in Spanish means
gate and it at one point in time (15th century) was the city's main, easternmost
gate. During the reign of the Habsburg Kings it was surrounded by churches
and monasteries. It was rebuilt in its present form in 1854-62. Today it
is the nerve centre of Madrid and hub of the city's transport system.
Plaza Mayor
You don’t have to do much
effort to reach this monument. It is just two minutes walk from the Puerta
del Sol. Initially it served as a small market square when it was first
built in the 15th century. Plaza Mayor was rebuilt after Phillip II made
Madrid the capital of Spain and became the city's focal point for bullfights,
carnivals and festivals.
Plaza
Mayor from the East, Madrid, Spain
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Today there are bars and
restaurants on the outskirts of the square along with novelty shops selling
hats and coins. You will also fine artists working outside the tourist
office and a lot of tourists hanging around.
Royal Palace (Palacio
Real)
It is magnanimous to the
say the least. It is 3,000-room palace that at times host official state
function. If it’s is not hosting state function, it is open to visitors.
Tourists can take private tour of the Royal Palace and Prado Museum with
licensed English speaking tour guide.
Palacio
Real, Madrid, Spain Photographic Print
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