Madrid's centre is still called Madrid de los Austrias, the Madrid of the Habsburgs, the dynasty that ruled Spain from the 16th century to 1700 and turned a Castilian town into the capital of an empire. It is a tangle of narrow streets, convents, squares and brick-and-granite buildings, between the Puerta del Sol to the east and the Royal Palace to the west. It is part of the Madrid guide.
Puerta del Sol
The Puerta del Sol is Spain's most famous square. It takes its name from a gate in the medieval walls, long gone, that faced the rising sun. Here are some of the city's symbols:
- Kilometre zero, a plaque on the pavement outside the Real Casa de Correos from which the distances of Spain's radial roads are measured.
- The Real Casa de Correos, the 18th-century building that housed the post office and Franco's police and is now the seat of the Community of Madrid's president. Its clock strikes the twelve chimes of New Year's Eve, when millions of Spaniards eat a grape on each stroke.
- The bear and the strawberry tree (el Oso y el Madroño), the bronze statue from the city's coat of arms, Madrileños' classic meeting point.
- The equestrian statue of Charles III, the king who remodelled the square.
From Sol run the pedestrian shopping streets, calle Preciados and calle del Carmen, and calle Arenal leading to the Teatro Real.
Plaza Mayor
A few steps west lies the Plaza Mayor, a vast arcaded rectangle of 129 by 94 metres, enclosed by three-storey buildings with 237 balconies. It was completed in 1619 under Philip III, whose equestrian statue stands in the middle, and hosted markets, bullfights, canonisations, royal celebrations and Inquisition trials. After several fires it was rebuilt in the late 18th century by Juan de Villanueva, architect of the Prado. The Casa de la Panadería, with its painted façades, stands out. Under the arcades are historic hat and souvenir shops, and cafés with tables on the square, pretty but pricey. The Madrid ritual is the bocadillo de calamares, a roll filled with fried squid rings, from the bars in the surrounding streets such as calle de Botoneras. In December the square hosts the Christmas market.
From the Arco de Cuchilleros in the south-west corner, steps lead down to the Cava de San Miguel and Cava Baja, streets of the oldest taverns and mesones, including Botín, considered the oldest restaurant in the world still operating.
Mercado de San Miguel
Next to the Plaza Mayor, the Mercado de San Miguel is a handsome iron-and-glass market from 1916, turned into a gourmet market with stalls of oysters, ham, croquetas, vermouth and wine. It is crowded and expensive, but an experience: best mid-morning or late afternoon. For more authentic neighbourhood markets see markets and shopping.
The Madrid of the Austrias
Along calle Mayor you reach the Plaza de la Villa, the city's oldest square, with the 15th-century Torre de los Lujanes, the Casa de Cisneros and the Casa de la Villa, the old town hall. Around it are churches and convents to explore slowly: the basilica of San Miguel, one of Madrid's few Italian baroque churches; the collegiate church of San Isidro, the cathedral until 1993; the Carboneras convent, where cloistered nuns sell sweets through a turntable; and above all the Descalzas Reales monastery, founded by Joanna of Austria, Philip II's sister, which holds tapestries from Rubens cartoons and works by Titian and Brueghel, visited only on Patrimonio Nacional guided tours.
Chocolate con churros
In the San Ginés passage, between Sol and calle Arenal, the San Ginés chocolatería has served churros and porras for dipping in thick chocolate since 1894, day and night. It is the obligatory stop for those heading home at dawn after a night out, and for anyone wanting a Madrileño breakfast. See churros.
Tips
- The area is served by Sol, Ópera and La Latina metro stations and is best explored on foot.
- Watch out for pickpockets, numerous at Sol and in the Plaza Mayor, especially in crowds and during street shows.
- Avoid restaurants with photo menus on the square: for tapas head to La Latina or the Barrio de las Letras.
- In the evening the floodlit Plaza Mayor is very atmospheric and quieter.
For more stops see what to see in Madrid and itineraries.