Madrid, the capital of Spain, is hot in summer, but it is
oh so very cool to visit. If you haven’t been yet, please plan to go soon. It
is really worth a trip, and it is so very different from Barcelona in
Catalonia. It obviously is different, since it is in a very different part of
the country. The actress Penelope Cruz and Enrique Iglesias the Spanish singer
and songwriter were born in Madrid. How can one not love a city with romantic-sounding
street names, like for example Costanilla de Los Ángeles?
With a size of 605.8 km² Madrid is huge, but
still, you can walk everywhere, as a matter of fact, you wouldn’t need to use
public transport at all. I’m a big fan of looking at towns on foot, which is
when I attain the most unexpected finds. Start walking and you will discover
Madrid slowly. Spend as much time as you like at the places you love. Go with
the flow and walk for hours and hours, and don’t forget to eat, drink coffee
and take photos. I spent two weeks in Madrid and here I show you the very best museums, palaces and churches I visited.
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| Costanilla de Los Angeles - Madrid |
The best museums,
palaces and churches in Madrid
Adolfo Suarez
Madrid-Barajas Airport
First of all, and in case you arrive by plane, spent some
time to look at the stunning architecture of the Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas
Airport. I didn't even have to go to town and I have already seen one of
Madrid’s highlights. The airport is named after the first elected prime
minister of Spain after Franco’s dictatorship. Suárez helped to turn Spain into
a democracy. The redesign was done by London based architect group Richard
Rogers. It is as futuristic as it is breathtakingly beautiful, there is lots of
light, wood, straight lines, curves, and to help passengers orientate,
everything is colour-coded.
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| Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport |
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| Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport |
Palacio Real - Royal
Palace of Madrid
So much to think about. Walk in front of Madrid's Royal
Palace and look at the Catedral de la Almudena for a magical view of both
properties. I love everything royal. Not in a way that I would want queens and
kings to rule the world. It is a fairy-tale, right? I also love to visit
cathedrals to look at the architecture of these places. Not because I believe
in what the Vatican says …
The Royal Palace is the residence of the Queen and King
(and their children) of Spain, but they don’t actually live here. Felipe, the
King, is married to Letizia. He started his reign in 2014 when he took over
from his father Juan Carlos. Whatever happens in their lives is (relatively)
big news in Europe. People flocked to their TV’s when they got married, to be
part of this magic moment.
The palace apparently has 2,800 rooms, imagine you’d have
to clean all the windows. Let alone the time one would have to spend with
spring-cleaning. It is a shame, visitors are not allowed to walk through all
its 2,800 rooms (not), but anyhow 50 of them are open to the public.
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Palacio Real - Royal
Palace of Madrid
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Catedral de Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena
This huge cathedral in Neo-Gothic style was built between
1883 and 1993. Pay particular attention to the very colourful ceilings. The name is a little bit lengthy ...
Info: Calle Bailen 10, 28013 Madrid, Spain. Hours: Sunday to Saturday 9.30am to 8.30pm.
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| Catedral de Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena in Madrid |
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| Catedral de Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena in Madrid |
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| Catedral de Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena in Madrid |
Museo de Historia de Madrid
From the 9th century on Madrid’s history has
been written down, events were archived. When Philip II relocated his court
from Toledo to Madrid in 1560, the town became Spain’s capital city. If you visit the Museum of History of Madrid, which is
housed in the former Royal Hospice of San Fernando, that was designed and built by Spanish architect Pedro de Ribera
from 1721 to 1726, you’ll find the history of Madrid from 1561 up to the year 2007. Info: Museo de Historia de Madrid, Calle Fuencarral 78. Tickets: Free. Hours:
Please check the website for opening hours and prices.
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Museo de Historia de Madrid - inside
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Entrance to the Museo de Historia de Madrid
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Prado National Museum
The Spanish National Art Museum with works from the 12th
to the 19th century has works by Hieronymus Bosch, El Greco and Francisco de
Goya. Most pieces at the Prado are from the Spanish Royal family collection. If
you can afford to, spend a full day at the museum. Don’t try to look at every
single painting or sculpture. Just stop in front of the ones that really speak
to you, and you will enjoy the visit throughout. The cafeteria in the
underground is a great spot to have lunch.
Info: Prado National Museum. Ruiz de Alarcón Street, 23.
Tickets: EUR 16 (buy it in advance to avoid the long wait). Hours: Monday to
Saturday from 10am to 8pm. Sundays and holidays from 10am to 7pm. Closed on
January 1st, May 1st, December 25th. Limited
opening hours January 6th December, 24th and 31th, 10am
to 2pm. Free: Monday to Saturday from 6pm to 8pm. Sundays and holidays from 5pm
to 7pm.
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| Prado Museum Madrid |
Look at Street Art in
Madrid
Simply walk through the borough of Justicia to see a
building that sits on the corner of Calle Orellana and Calle de Campoamor. It
is covered in the most wonderful mural. The artwork “Everything is
Happiness" on this building from 1886 was done in 2008 by Spanish artist
Jack Babiloni in just over three weeks. He painted the 68 heads in black, blue,
ochre and yellow with silicone because it is highly UV-resistant and ensures
conservation for the coming 300 years (we will never find out whether this is
true, but I reckon engineers have their methods to test this before they make
such statements).
Palacio de Cristal in
Parque del Retiro
The Palacio Cristal in Buen Retiro Park was built in 1887
to showcase flora from the Philippines. There are ever-changing exhibitions and
events.
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| Magical Palacio de Cristal - Parque del Retiro Madrid |
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| Palacio de Cristal - Parque del Retiro Madrid |
Palacio de Velazquez in Parque del
Retiro
This is a venue for art exhibitions from the Spanish
National Museum of Modern Art. It is a tiled red brick building, and pretty to
look at from outside as well as from inside.
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Palacio de Velazquez - Parque del Retiro in Madrid
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Museo
Thyssen-Bornemisza
It is here that you can walk through seven centuries of
art. There are works from the 13th to the 20th century,
look at art from Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Romanticism up to Pop-Art.
The collection is made up from pieces by Claude Monet, Edward Degas, Van Gogh,
Picasso, Kandinsky, Dali, Chagall, Edward Hopper, Roy Lichtenstein. The art
stems from one of the biggest private collections in the world. Hans Heinrich
Thyssen-Bornemisza sold most of his Goya, Canaletto and Picasso in 1993 for the
price of only EUR 286 million to Spain. The magnificent museum in Madrid is
a monument to the passionate collector.
Info: Paseo del Prado 8. Tickets: General EUR 10/
Temporary Exhibitions EUR 11. Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10am - 7pm. Free Monday
12pm to 4 pm. Closed on 1st January, 1st May and 25th
December.
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| Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid |
Museo de Romanticismo
This is a rather intimate museum in a neo-classical
villa. Look at furniture, paintings, and objects of daily life and understand
how life in 19th century Madrid was. Go for tea and cake in the garden after
your visit.
Info: C/ San Mateo, 13. Tickets: EUR 3. Hours: Wintertime (November to April): Tuesday to
Saturday from 9.30am to 6.30pm. Sundays and holidays from 10am to 3pm. Summer
(From May to October): Tuesday to Saturday from 9.30am to 8.30pm. Sundays and
holidays from 10am to 3pm. Closed: Monday, 1 and 6 January, 1 May, 24, 25 and
31 December.
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| Tea Garden at the Museo de Romanticismo in Madrid |
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Museo de Romanticismo in Madrid
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Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia
You’ll have the chance to admire more than 21,000
Spanish artworks from the 20th century. This place is huge, bring
enough time, It was easy to spend a whole day here. I also really liked the
café for lunch. Info: Calle de Santa Isabel, 52. Tickets:
Collection and Temporary Exhibitions EUR 8. Hours: 10am to 9pm. Closed on Tuesday. Please check the website for more information.
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| Queen Sofia Arts Center (Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia) in Madrid |
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| Queen Sofia Arts Center (Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia) in Madrid |
San Jerónimo el Real
This 16th-century church is directly
opposite of the Prado Museum. Why not get artsy and paint it? There is enough
space for your easel in the wonderful little park by the museum.
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| Painting San Jerónimo el Real in Madrid |
Saint Isidoro Church and Museum Casa de San Isidro
This is an impressive baroque-style church in La Latina
named after Isidore the Farmer, the patron saint of farmers. Isidore was born
into a very poor family and became a day labourer, who was known for his
goodness towards the poor. Legend has it that Isidore went to church every
morning before work. On one occasion his workmates complained to their boss
that he was always late for work. The boss followed up on it and found Isidore
at prayer while angels were doing the ploughing for him. Isidore is also said
to have brought back to life his boss's late child and to have created a
fountain of freshwater to ease his boss's thirst.
He married Maria Torribia, who is known as Santa María de
la Cabeza. They had a son, who once fell into a deep well and, at the prayers
of his parents, the water of the well has risen miraculously to ground level,
bringing the boy with it, alive. Isidore was canonized in 1622. Visit the well
and learn about all the stories of wonder at the Casa de San Isidore.
Saint Isidoro Church. Calle
Toledo 24. Tickets: Free. Hours: September to July: Monday to Saturday 7.30am
to 1pm and 6.30pm to 8:30pm. August: Monday to Saturday 7.30am to 8.30pm,
Sunday 7.15am to 8.30pm.
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| Saint Isidoro Church in Madrid |
Museum Casa de San Isidore. Casa de San Isidro, Plaza de San Andrés, 2. Tickets: Free. Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday 9.30am to 8pm. Closed on Monday.
After your visit, sit down for drinks at Plaza de San
Andres. There is an amazingly fun atmosphere from roughly 6pm on (earlier on weekends).
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| Museum Casa de San Isidro Madrid |
El Fernán Gómez
Centro Cultural de la Villa
The centre, home of a theatre and exhibition space, is
underground beneath the Gardens of Discovery on Plaza de Colón. Drama, Opera,
Ballet, Flamenco shows, it is here where you’ll find it.
Royal Basílica de San
Francisco el Grande
In the Madrid borough of La Latina is the Royal Basílica
de San Francisco el Grande. As I step into the cathedral built in neoclassical
style in 1760 I am blown away at the sight of its dome of 33 metres in
diameter. It is the largest in Spain. The Basilica is dedicated to St. Francis
of Assisi and forms part of a convent of the Franciscan order. I was the only
visitor for the most part of my visit, which felt spooky and magical at the same
time. If you have read the novel "The name of the rose" by Umberto
Eco you know what I mean. So many people tell me they can't stand visiting
churches with all the gold, bric-a-brac candleholders and kitsch, plus the
horrible smell of incense, I’d say it is mesmerizing really. There are three
chapels and this place is also an art gallery, with lots of paintings and
marble sculptures.
Info: Calle de San Buenaventura, 1. Tickets: EUR 3.
Hours: Tuesday to Friday 11am to 12.30pm and 4pm to 6.30pm. Saturday 11am to
1.30pm.
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Royal Basílica de San
Francisco el Grande in Madrid
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From Berlin with love
