It’s fair to say that Madrid took me by surprise. I hadn’t expected so many stunning buildings, grand avenues and peaceful, green spaces. Moreover, the art scene was much more impressive than I’d initially realised. And so was the food. And even the public transport.
Essentially, I enjoyed my trip to Madrid way more than I ever expected! It’s now up there with my favourite European cities.
If, like me, it’s art, culture and beautiful sights that you’re after, Madrid is a good place to start. Start exploring Madrid with this 3-day city break itinerary.
The Royal Palace
I visited Madrid’s royal palace on my first morning, and it certainly started off my city trip with a bang. The palace is easily one of the most impressive places I’ve ever been to. Not only is it absolutely massive, but also it’s incredibly opulent on the inside and out.
I approached the palace through its vast, open courtyard, admiring the columns decorating the wide façade. Yet once inside, it became even more impressive. There were rooms with walls of marble, ornate wood, and wallpaper made of silk. One room even had walls made of ceramic!
Light glinted off the many gilded mirrors and chandeliers as I filed through the staterooms, making the palace seem even more lavish. Madrid’s royal palace is undoubtedly one of the most opulent and beautiful buildings that I’ve ever visited.
Sabatini Gardens
Next to Madrid’s royal palace are the Sabatini Gardens, which were opened to the public in 1978. As with the palace, and many of Madrid’s other green spaces, the Sabatini Gardens are pleasingly symmetrical. The low hedges are cut into geometric mazes, while carefully sheared bushes are placed in patterns around the gardens. Even the palace itself is reflected beautifully in the gardens’ large pond.
Despite the gardens’ proximity to the royal palace, they always seemed peaceful. When I visited, there was a street performer busking just inside the gardens’ grand entrance. The noise of his accordion seemed to welcome me into the royal gardens.
Almudena Cathedral
Madrid’s Catholic cathedral was only built relatively recently, in the late 1800s. In fact, construction only finished over 100 years later in 1993. Because of this, Almudena Cathedral doesn’t look anything like cathedrals I’ve visited in the past.
Though it features numerous columns, two bell towers and a dome, Almudena is much more modern than most Catholic cathedrals. The interior contrasts traditionally Catholic emblems with modern styles of sculpture and decoration. This combination is unique and unlike anything I’ve come across before.
Almudena Cathedral sits opposite the Royal Palace and mirrors it with an equally impressive exterior. The pale blue and white colours of the cathedral perfectly parallel the grey stone of the palace. They are so near to each other that I could hear Almudena’s ear-splitting bells from within the palace walls.
Plaza Mayor
Dating back to the late 16th century, Plaza Mayor was once the centre of old Madrid. It has existed under countless different names as Madrid’s political environment changed, but still remains the city’s most renowned square.
Surrounded by porticos, Plaza Mayor is actually a large rectangle flanked by towering, red walls. A bronze statue of King Philip III of Spain sits on his horse in the middle of the square. Along the plaza’s longest wall is Casa de la Panadería, a bakery turned art spectacle. Two pointed towers frame the façade, which is decorated with murals that depict the mythology surrounding Madrid’s history.
I arrived at Plaza Mayor at sunrise, and had the whole place to myself. Without any other people, the plaza seemed larger and grander than I was expecting. I was able to take in the beautiful and intricate frieze across the front of the plaza without any distractions.
Madrid’s grand architecture
While I believe Plaza Mayor deserves its own mention, it’s not the only impressive building in Madrid. I didn’t use the metro much whilst visiting Madrid because walking gave me the opportunity to check out more of the city.
1. Plaza del Sol, near Plaza Mayor, is where the famous statue of a bear eating fruit from a tree is located. This symbol has now become the emblem of Madrid.
2. To the northeast, in the neighbourhood of Chueca, is the Palacio de Longoria. The exterior is intricately decorated in Art Nouveau style and reminded me a lot of Gaudí’s buildings all over Barcelona.
3. The Plaza de Cibeles is a beautiful, neo-classical building made of marble and decorated with fountains. It couldn’t look more Spanish, decorated with multiple yellow and red flags blowing in the breeze from passing cars.
4. Nearby, the Puerta de Alcalá is another example of Madrid’s beautiful architecture. It sits on the northwest corner of El Retiro Park and was once the main gateway to the city.
5. Lastly, walking along Madrid’s Gran Via is the best way to see the city’s beautiful 20th-century architecture. The street was constructed in the early 1900s and almost every building is intricate and beautiful to look at.
Reina Sofía Museum
The Reina Sofía museum is one of Madrid’s most well-known art galleries, focusing on modern art. It’s most famous for hosting Picasso’s Guernica.
At 27m2, Guernica was far bigger than I’d imagined. It was also far darker, both in colour and symbolically. The more I stared at it, the more there was to discover about Picasso’s interpretation of war-torn Spain.
My other highlights included some of Picasso’s less macabre paintings and a lot of mind-bending work by Dalí.
The best part is: the Reina Sofía is free to enter between 7 and 9pm. I arrived early to avoid queuing for too long, and managed to enjoy nearly two full hours in the museum. It’s the perfect amount of time to take in the best of Madrid’s modern art without reaching art saturation overload.
El Buen Retiro Park
El Buen Retiro Park was my favourite place in Madrid. It translates to “the park of the pleasant retreat”, and that’s exactly what it was. Though Madrid isn’t short of little green spots to sit and relax, Retiro Park just exuded peacefulness.
Every corner held a different gem to discover. Whether you want boating lakes, formal gardens, glass palaces or even peacocks, El Retiro has it. I spent hours wandering around and exploring, sometimes even just sitting quietly to take in all the beauty. Plan more time than you would think to spend here, because I could easily have passed a whole day within its green expanse.
Read more about what to get up to in El Retiro: A Day in El Retiro Park, Madrid
Temple of Debod
Did you know that Madrid has its own Egyptian temple? Though it was originally built near the Nile in Upper Egypt, the Egyptian government gifted the Temple of Debod to Spain to save it from floods. The temple dates back to 200 AD but was transported to Madrid in the 20th century.
When the temple reached Madrid, it was rebuilt brick for brick on the top of Cuartel de la Montaña Park. It even faces east to west like it did in Egypt, as a tribute to its origins.
The Temple of Debod sits surrounded by a shallow pool, in which the monument is reflected against the sky. Three stone arches act as gateways leading to the temple itself, which can be entered during opening hours. I liked that there were small exhibitions built into the temple, illuminating the hieroglyphs carved into the monument’s walls. It’s a small and authentic piece of Egypt in the middle of Madrid.
Museo Nacional del Prado
Madrid’s Museo del Prado is another of the city’s famous art museums. It has an extensive collection, mainly of classical and European art.
The highlights include plenty of Goya and Velasquez. I also liked the Prado’s healthy selection of delicious still life paintings, some of which looked so realistic I wanted to take a bite out of them.
At €15 per person, the Prado’s entrance fee is quite expensive. However, like the Reina Sofia, it is also free in the evenings. I scheduled my visit for between 6 and 8pm and was able to appreciate all the highlights for free.
My criteria for travelling is pretty basic: cities have got to be at least a little bit beautiful and there must be a big, green space for me to chill for a day. Madrid has both in abundance.
I would have enjoyed spending more time in Madrid, even if it merely meant mooching round more art galleries or hanging out in the park. This 3-day itinerary is perfect for exploring the city’s history and culture whilst soaking in the grand surroundings. Three days was just enough time for me to realise how much I love Madrid.
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