Galería Canalejas

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1. Galería Canalejas 2. El Retiro

13 ESSENTIAL SIGHTS IN THE MOST ICONIC PARTS OF MADRID

April,11,2022

Have you visited every corner of Madrid already? Whether or not you know the city well, there are always places yet to be explored and secrets yet to be discovered. We invite you on a stroll through the most iconic parts of Madrid.

Let’s start at the Royal Palace, in one of the busiest and prettiest parts of the city. Did you know it has an incredible 3,400 rooms? This impressive building is even more imposing when viewed while standing among all the ornaments and statues in the neoclassical Sabatini Gardens. On the other side of the palace and in the heart of the Madrid of the Habsburgs, Almudena Cathedral catches everybody’s eye as the main religious building to be found in the city.

Very nearby is one of the most picturesque and vibrant of the city’s districts: La Latina, come and pay it a visit! Colourful mediaeval streets full of long-standing businesses that usually lead to a square of some kind; one of those being the iconic Plaza Mayor, of course.

Before venturing into this district, don’t forget to pass by the Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales to see its exquisite plateresque façade and the valuable tapestries inside.

Continuing our route towards the heart of the city, we come to the Puerta del Sol, one of the most famous locations in all of Spain because of the legendary clock that welcomes in the new year every New Year’s Eve.

This would be a great moment to pause for some shopping. The Galería Canalejas is only a few metres away and home to the Hermès and Cartier boutiques. At the same time, you might like to visit our Food Hall, the perfect spot for a short gastronomy break offering the very best of national and international cuisine.

1. Food Hall de Galería Canalejas 2. Puerta del Sol

From here, it is just a short walk to the Las Letras district. Did you know that this part of the city owes its name to the fact that its streets were once inhabited by famous people from the world of literature? Cervantes, Lope de Vega and Quevedo, to name but a few. Those of you looking for culture will also enjoy the Paseo del Prado, a tree-lined boulevard full of monuments that runs between the Fountains of Cybele and Neptune to end at the famous Prado Museum.

Would you like to continue this outdoor stroll? At one end of the Paseo del Prado, you will find Cybele Palace(currently housing the City Council of Madrid). This building has one of the prettiest terraces in the city. The Puerta de Alcalá awaits you at the end of this route, the first victory arch to be built in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. This former city gate welcomes visitors to El Retiro, the favourite park of both local residents and visitors to Madrid wishing to enjoy the fresh air.

The places on this route make up a unique adventure that everyone visiting Madrid should discover for themselves.

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1. Puerta de Alcalá 2. Catedral de la Almudena 3.Barrio de las Letras 4. La Latina 5. El Palacio Real de Madrid 6. Monasterio de las Descalzas 7. Paseo Del Prado 8. Jardines de Sabatini 9. El Retiro 10. Plaza Mayor 11. Palacio de Cibeles