Madrid Spain

After departing Nice, France (on our 2018 Europe Adventure) we flew to Madrid, Spain and found that the "Madrid Challenge" bicycle racing event was taking place on the Paseo del Prado. As our hotel was located a short distance off the intersection of the Plaza de las Cortes & the Paseo del Prado, our taxi driver (after repeated attempts) finally told us that he could not get us to our desired destination. The bicycle racing event barriers were effectively blocking crossing access (cars & pedestrians), requiring pedestrians to walk to the Estacion del Arte circle, and then walk back up the Paseo del Prado to our hotel - a bit of a hike.

With tens of thousands of people watching the bicycle race, we quickly realized that we were not going to be able to walk on the Paseo del Prado while rolling our suitcases behind us! Celeste fired up her cell phone mapping Application, and found us a "back street" route to reach the hotel.

Even though it wasn't exactly the arrival we had anticipated, we were glad to arrive and start our Madrid exploration. The back street route wound up revealing some interesting pubs & restaurants, so it was useful information for use later.

Paseo del Prado Race View

We decided to stop and watch (since we could not yet determine how to cross over) the bicycle racers, you can see how crowded it was, bicycle racing in Europe is widely followed. Click this image to see a video we took from this location on the Paseo del Prado.

We finally asked a policeman how to get to the Hilton Hotel and he told us to walk to the Réplica de la Fuente de la Alcachofa ("Fountain of the Artichoke") traffic circle where we could cross over. As you can see in this video, the bike racers are on the Paseo del Prado headed north, and the Hilton Hotel is on the other side of that boulevard.

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• Madrid lies at the highest altitude of any capital in Europe at 2,188 feet.
• The Retiro Park in Madrid has the only statue dedicated to the fallen angel Lucifer. The statue is at the Fuente del Angel Caído in the park and has gargoyles which spit water at the base.
• There are various explanations as to how Madrid got its name, but the most trusted explanation is that it’s over 2,000 years old according to Arabic records, 'Mayrit' or 'Magerit' were the old names of Madrid which mean 'place of abundant water' which then evolved to the Madrid we know now.
• The Palacio Real is the largest royal palace in Europe by floor area and although it’s the official residency of the Spanish Royal Family it is only used for state ceremonies. King Felipe VI and the Royal Family actually live in the Palace of Zarzuela on the outskirts of Madrid.
• Known for its parks and green spaces, Madrid has the most green space per inhabitant in the world, encompassing 35% of the city’s total area.
• Madrid is the third largest city in the European Union.
• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest working restaurant in the world is Sobrino de Botín in Madrid.

Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula. It is the Capital city of both Spain (almost without interruption since 1561) and the surrounding autonomous community of Madrid (since 1983), it is also the political, economic and cultural centre of the country. The city is situated on an elevated plain about 300 kilometres (190 mi) from the closest seaside location.

We flew into the Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport from Nice, France. It is the second largest airport in Europe, and it is located approximately 30 kilometers outside the center of Madrid where our hotel is located.

Click the above map link to view a Google Map of Madrid.

As of 9/13/2024 Google says there are over 1,154 accommodations in Madrid. Below are the top five most popular hotels in Madrid based upon the "guest rating", click here to view the full Google Search Results list for all Madrid accommodations.. Keep in mind that there is a wide range of accommodations in Madrid, you will find everything from hostels to 2, 3, 4 or 5 star rated some with great amenities and some with none. Research is important!

1. ARTIEM Madrid: Off the A-2 autovía and a 6-minute walk from a metro station, this modern wellness 4 star hotel is 5 km from soccer matches at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, home of the Real Madrid FC, and 15 km from the Royal Palace of Madrid. (4.8 guest rating)
2. Room Mate Alba Hotel: On a pedestrianized street in the lively Huertas neighborhood, this fashionable 4 star hotel is 3 minutes away on foot from the nearest metro station, and an 8-minute walk from Plaza Mayor, a vast public square lined with cafes and restaurants. (4.8 guest rating)
3. Atocha Hotel Madrid, Tapestry Collection by Hilton: This upscale 4 star hotel is a 3-minute walk from a metro station, a 6-minute walk from the CaixaForum Madrid and 9 minutes on foot from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. (4.8 guest rating)
4. Mandarin Oriental Ritz: Set in a grand building built in 1910, this plush luxury hotel is a 4-minute walk from the Museo del Prado and 15 km from Madrid-Barajas Airport. (4.7 guest rating)
5. Palacio de los Duques Gran Meliá: Set in a former 19th-century palace, this genteel 5 star hotel is a 2-minute walk from the Teatro Real opera house and a 5-minute walk from the Royal Palace of Madrid. (4.7 guest rating)

This bronze baroque statue of Felipe IV (Philip IV of Spain) stands at the centre of the Plaza de Oriente park across the Calle de Bailén from the Royal Palace.

The statue was begun in 1634 and shipped to Madrid in 1640, the year of King Felipe's death. The sculpture, atop a complicated fountain composition, forms the centerpiece of the façade of the Royal Palace.

NOTE: Image # 2 is the property of Alvesgaspar via Wikimedia. All other images, unless otherwise noted, are the property of Just Traveling Thru, LLC.

Quick History Lesson for the Plaza de Oriente

This monument to Philip IV of Spain (1605–1665) is at the Plaza de Oriente, a square beside the Royal Palace, and was inaugurated in 1843. The bronze equestrian statue was made between 1634 and 1640 by Pietro Tacca (1577–1640), who requested Galileo Galilei's advice to achieve its stability: rear part is solid and front is hollow. The statue was initially in the Buen Retiro Palace.

Click here to view the full Plaza de Oriente Article.

The Plaza as it exists now was laid-out in 1892, according to a plan by the architect Enrique María Repullés. However, the history of this square dates back to 1553, the year in which Philip II ordered a building to house the royal stables. Both of these images were taken looking south from the Palace of the St Mary Royal of the Almudena ( AKA "Almudena Cathedral" ) adjacent to the Palace complex.

Quick History Lesson for the Plaza de la Armería

The origins of the plaza date back to the early 19th century when King Joseph Bonaparte initiated the demolition of the old medieval neighborhood to create a grand entrance for the palace. However, its final design was completed under King Alfonso XII in the late 19th century.

The plaza’s name, "Armería" (Armory), refers to the Royal Armory housed nearby, a collection of weapons and armor from Spain’s military history. The square became a ceremonial space used for official events and royal processions. Its neoclassical design, with symmetrical layout and elegant balustrades, emphasizes the grandeur of the surrounding architecture.

Salon de las Columnas

The neoclassical Columns Room in the Royal Palace was used for the celebration of dances and banquets until the year 1879 when Alfonso XII's first wife died.

Palace Grand Staircase

The Palace Grand Staircase is composed of a single piece of San Augustin marble. Two lions grace the landing, one by Felipe de Castro and another by Robert Michel.

Palace Grand Staircase

Grand Staircase as seen from the floor above - can you imagine the work required to construct this staircase?

Our interior tour of the Palace was not a guided tour (there is a guided tour available), as we wanted to be able to move about at our own speed and to view rooms of our own selection. Needless to say, the entire interior is a stunning living museum.

Inside the palace rich materials were used: Spanish marble, stucco, mahogany doors and windows and important works of art, particularly frescoes by leading artists of the moment as Giaquinto, Tiepolo and Mengs and his Spanish followers Bayeu and Maella.

Quick History Lesson of the Royal Palace

The official residence of the Spanish Royal Family was built in 1738 and the palace contains 135,000 square metres (1,450,000 sq ft) of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms. This is the largest royal palace in Europe by floor area.

Click the Wikipedia link below to go to the page where this information came from.

Lunch in the Park

After we completed our tour of the Royal Palace, we decided to walk north into the Parque del Oeste and find a place for a quick lunch. We wanted "quick" because we were on our way to the Teleférico de Madrid, which is a cable car from the park to the Casa de Campo. This isn't a long walk, and you will pass through a couple of nice parks along the way.

More Info for the Parque del Oeste

• Parque del Oeste Google Images Set:
• Google Reviews: for the Parque del Oeste

Image Credits:

All the above images (unless otherwise noted) are the property of Just Traveling Thru, LLC.

Covering 1,535.52 hectares, this wonderful natural space to the west of the city is Madrid’s largest public park and the largest public urban park in Spain. Its history dates back to the mid-16th century when King Philip II decided to move his court to Madrid. He created an estate that extended from the Royal Palace to El Pardo hunting ground, acquiring farms and fields in the area. Used exclusively by the royal family for centuries, in the 1930s it was finally opened to the public.

King Ferdinand VI declared it a Royal Forest, and King Charles III chose to devote some of it to agricultural use and livestock farming. But with the arrival of the Second Spanish Republic, the new government ceded ownership of the property to Madrid City Council on 1 May 1931, and it has been public property ever since. During the Spanish Civil War it was extensively damaged, like many other sites in the city, but it also saw the construction of military structures that are still visible today.

Retiro Pond

This is the Estanque grande del Retiro in the El Retiro Park, a beautiful lake surrounded by a huge number of trees and flowers everywhere! The park is an excellent place to enjoy nature, get some shade, or just stroll along admiring the park's natural beauty.

Click here to go to the official Park Website.

Walkways

This walkway in the park gives you some idea of how well kept and how beautiful the entire park is. The major paths and walkways are used by families, runners, bikers and rollerbladers, and the circular route through the park is approximately 1.9 miles in length.

Rose Garden

This view is looking west toward the Prado Museum, as we were headed back to our hotel. You can see a few of the more than 4,000 rosebushes in the garden.

We had read a number of people's reviews about Madrid, and many of those stated that one must try the chocolate churros at Las Farolas.

The Churreria-Chocolateria Las Farolas restaurant has been in business for over 100 years, and they have several other locations scattered about Spain.

If you are ever in Madrid, we would suggest that you consider stopping at Churreria-Chocolateria Las Farolas. The best churros & chocolate we have ever had! They are located at Calle Mayor, 11, 28012, Madrid, Spain at the intersection of Calle Mayor and Calle de San Cristobal.

One of our goals while in Madrid, was to experience a "real" Flamenco show, so we attended one at La Taberna de Mister Pinkleton. The singers & dancers were very good and the flamenco guitarist was excellent.
NOTE: Post Edit 1/20/2022 - Mister Pinkleton appears to have permanently closed.

Image # 2 was during a break in the Flamenco show, the musicians and dancers were changing costumes, so we ordered another round of sangrias - which by the way, were quite good.

You can acquire your tickets online at Viator in advance of the show, highly recommended, as we saw a lengthy line waiting to purchase tickets at the door when we entered with our reservations.

La Taberna de Mister Pinkleton serves drinks & food as well as dinner if you so choose. We don't have any flamenco experience, but we thoroughly enjoyed the show.

We had decided to have tapas one night, and we only had to walk a few blocks from our hotel to this highly recommended restaurant.

They had a great beer on tap, and we ordered what we thought was going to be a couple of "small plates" and wound up with a full meal!

WARNING: We were hungry, but there was so much food that we could not finish it all !

This was a day trip we took while we were in Madrid, Spain because we had read about Toledo and how interesting an area it is. Nestled atop a hill overlooking the vast expanse of the Tagus River, Toledo stands as a living testament to Spain's rich history, cultural diversity, and architectural brilliance.

We took a Viator Bus Tour as it is only 87 kilometers from Madrid to Toledo, and using this method was a good solution for us as we did not want to rent a car while we were in Spain. Plus the tour was "guided", they spoke excellent english and they knew their way around Toledo.

This was an interesting day trip to a very historic city, click here to view our Toledo Spain page and learn why it is called the "City of Three Cultures" because it uniquely showcases the coexistence of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim heritages.

We had just exited Jardines del Cabo Noval (park near the Royal Palace) and had entered the Teatro Real area when we saw this street performer. Yes they are pan-handling, but you have to admit that it was a unique costume!

I should mention that it was a warm day, and we were wondering how this street performer could remain still for such long periods of time without hydration?

In Madrid, Spain, street performers, particularly those who want to perform in popular areas like the Plaza Mayor or the Puerta del Sol, must pass a test and obtain a license. This regulation was introduced by the Madrid City Council to improve the quality of street performances and to ensure that public spaces are used in an organized manner.

The process requires aspiring street performers to demonstrate their talent to a panel, which assesses the artistic merit of the performance. This can include musicians, magicians, living statues, and other types of performers. Once they pass the test, they receive a license that allows them to perform legally in designated areas of the city. The performers are also assigned time slots to avoid overcrowding and ensure everyone gets a fair chance.

Additionally, the license system helps maintain a certain level of professionalism among street artists, ensuring that the performances enhance the cultural atmosphere of Madrid. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in fines or being prohibited from performing in public spaces​

Click here to read the story on NPR about street performer licenses in Madrid.

This was our last dinner in Madrid, we ate at the Fogg Bar Birras & Cheese on the Calle de Moratín about 1.5 kilometers from our hotel.

That item in image # 1 is the Spanish version of nachos with a guacamole sauce and it was delicious! The restaurant had a very good draft beer selection, of which we put to good use too.

The name of this establishment might make you think that it was just another pub, but their food was quite good and the restaurant filled up rapidly while we were enjoying our dinner.

More Info for the Fogg Bar Birras & Cheese

• Fogg Bar Birras & Cheese Google Images Set:
• Google Reviews: for the Fogg Bar Birras & Cheese

Image Credits:

All the above images (unless otherwise noted) are the property of Just Traveling Thru, LLC.