Updated February 2020.
The City of the "Bear and the Strawberry Tree"
(Villa del Oso y el Madroño)
The capital of Spain and a major global city, Madrid's metropolitan area is the second largest in size and has the second largest European Union GDP, after Paris. It is a strange mix of both modern and industrial. One can take also day trips to a variety of nearby cities such as Segovia, Toledo, or Ávila.
The origins of the city nickname and symbol are contested, with the first occurrence of the black bear appearing on an army's flag in 1212. It could be due to the fact that the Romans called Madrid Ursalia or since there were black bears living in the forest. The strawberry tree (Madroño) was added to the seal in 1222, after King Alfonso VIII resolved a dispute between the city council and the church over the resources of the forests and the fields in the area. It was agreed that the trees and land belonged to the city, while the church owned the animals, so both would work together to protect the land.
The origins of the city nickname and symbol are contested, with the first occurrence of the black bear appearing on an army's flag in 1212. It could be due to the fact that the Romans called Madrid Ursalia or since there were black bears living in the forest. The strawberry tree (Madroño) was added to the seal in 1222, after King Alfonso VIII resolved a dispute between the city council and the church over the resources of the forests and the fields in the area. It was agreed that the trees and land belonged to the city, while the church owned the animals, so both would work together to protect the land.
Overview
- 6:00 – 7:30 AM: Casa de Campo – largest public park
- 7:30 – 8:00 AM: Arco de la Victoria – victory arch
- 8:00 – 8:30 AM: Parque del Oeste and the Temple of Debod – park with rose garden and Egyptian temple
- 8:30 – 9:00 AM: Plaza de España – plaza with monument to Cervantes
- 9:00 – 9:30 AM: Sabatini Gardens – garden with beautiful fountains
- 9:30 – 10:00 AM: Plaza de Oriente – garden known for Felipe IV equestrian statue
- 10:00 – 10:30 AM: Campo del Maro – historic gardens with manicured lawns
- 10:30 – 11:30 AM: Royal Palace of Madrid – palace of the Spanish royal family
- 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Catedral de la Almudena – Catholic church
- 12:00 – 1:00 PM: Lunch around Plaza Mayor – famous plaza
- 1:00 – 1:30 PM: Puerta del Sol – center of Madrid
- 1:30 – 2:00 PM: Plaza de Cibeles, Puerta de Alcalá – Madrid city council, triumphal arch
- 2:30 – 4:00 PM: El Retiro Park – manicured park in the East
- 4:00 – 6:00 PM: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia – impressionist/expressionist art museum
- 6:00 – 8:00 PM: Museo Nacional del Prado – museum with Spanish art collection
- 8:00 – 9:00 PM: Mercado de San Miguel – famous indoor market
Click the star to add the map to your Google Maps! To view it, simply open Google Maps, navigate to the Menu, choose “Your Places,” click "Maps", and voila, the map should be added.
Getting Around
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Madrid is a very walkable city; however, if you do decide to take the metro, I recommend simply buying 1-way tickets. Madrid’s metro is similar to that of Paris, since you need to specify the destination station when purchasing a ticket, but unlike Paris, you receive a reusable card that can be recharged.
Tickets within Zone A (most of downtown Madrid) cost about 1.50€ and the one-time fee for the card is 2.50€. To go to the airport, there is a specific ticket on the kiosk that allows you to do so. It costs about 4.50€. Like many other major cities, highly recommend using the app “Citymapper” to get around. |
Transport Card
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To/From the Airport
The main airport is Barajas-Madrid Airport, and there are multiple ways to enter into the city:
- METRO LINE 8 (PINK) - 4.50€: Two Metro stations are located on T2 (floor 1) and T4 (floor -1). To enter into the city, it takes about 15-20 minutes.
- CERCANÍAS - 2.60€: Local commuter trains leave from the T4 station every half an hour. Can be faster than the Metro (depending on where one goes), and requires the Renfe App
- AIRPORT BUSES - 1.50€: Not always the fastest, but it is the cheapest option:
- Línea Exprés Aeropuerto bus (big, yellow bus) that offers direct trips between the airport, Calle O’Donnell, Plaza de Cibeles and the Atocha train station. It runs every 24 hours.
- EMT Line 200: Runs from Avenida de América transport hub to terminals T1, T2 and T4 of Madrid-Barajas airport.
1-Day Plan
6:00 - 7:30 AM: Casa de Campo
Largest public park that was once a royal hunting estate. It is 5x larger than New York City’s Central Park and 2x the size of Paris’s Bois de Boulogne. While one could spend hours, maybe even days, hiking through the park and seeing the viewpoints, there are only a few highlights, such as the Teleférico de Madrid, a mountain cable car, Nickelodeon Land, an amusement park (Parque de Atracciones), and a zoo.
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7:30 - 8:00 AM: Arco de la Victoria More commonly known as La Puerta de Moncloa, it is similar to La Puerta de Alcalá. It was built by Francisco Franco to commemorate the victory of his troops at the 1936 Battle of Ciudad Universitaria during the Spanish Civil War and has a statue of the Roman goddess Minerva in a chariot. It is located right next to the bus station of Moncloa.
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8:00 - 8:30 AM: Parque del Oeste and the Temple of Debod
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Beautiful park that houses a rouse garden and the Temple of Debod, which is an Egyptian temple donated and relocated to Spain from Egypt as a gift for Spain’s help in saving the Abu Simbel temples from the threat of the Aswan High Dam. It is free to enter, but there is usually a half-hour wait time, since very few people can be inside the museum. It's not worth it to go in, and is much better to see from the outside, especially at night and when the fountain is filled.
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8:30 - 9:00 AM: Plaza de España
A new plaza created with multiple fountains and a monument dedicated to Miguel de Cervantes, considered the greatest Spanish writer and most known for writing Don Quixote.
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Plaza de España (Source: www.esmadrid.com)
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Sabatini Gardens facing the Royal Palace of Madrid
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9:00 - 9:30 AM: Sabatini Gardens Part of the Royal Palace of Madrid, this garden honors the Italian architect, Francesco Sabatini, who designed parts of the palace and the Royal stables that was previously located in this area. One can visit this area separately from the Royal Palace.
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9:30 - 10:00 AM: Plaza de Oriente Plaza that has a bronze statue of Felipe IV, the first in the world to have a statue of a horse standing on its two hind legs. There are also twenty limestone statues of Spanish kings.
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Campo del Maro (Source: www.esmadrid.com)
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10:00 - 10:30 AM: Campo del Moro Historic gardens named after an event in 1109, when Muslim leader, Alí Ben Yusuf, tried to reconquer Madrid after King Alfonso VI's death. Supposedly, his troops attacked the fortress from this hill and camped in where these gardens are now. They are located below the Royal Palace of Madrid and provide some beautiful views.
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10:30 - 11:30 AM: Royal Palace of Madrid Official residence of the Spanish royal family, although now it mainly serves as a place for state ceremonies. In Europe, it is the largest functioning royal palace based on floor space. Full of ornate gold-covered rooms, it is truly a sight to behold.
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11:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Catedral de la Almudena Neo-Gothic catholic church that serves as the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid. It was not completed until 1993 and takes a more modern approach to Spanish churches.
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12:00 - 1:00 PM: Lunch around Plaza Mayor Originally the center of Old Madrid, this beautiful plaza has a lot of beautiful shops and restaurants and is beautiful to stroll through during night.
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1:00 - 1:30 PM: Puerta del Sol
Public square that is the starting point for measurement of the Spanish radial roads in Madrid. It contains an iconic statue of a bear and a madroño tree, the symbol of Madrid, a beautiful fountain, and the old post office.
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1:30 - 2:00 PM: Plaza de Cibeles
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Puerta de Alcalá
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Beautiful plaza surrounded by the Palacio de Cibeles (place of Madrid City Council), the Palacio de Linares, the Palacio de Buenavista, and the Bank of Spain Building.
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Neoclassical monument that was the first modern post-Roman triumphal arch built in Europe.
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2:30 - 4:00 PM: El Retiro Park
An incredibly large park that has nice walkways, trees, and fountains. Considerable places to see are the Estanque Grande del Retiro (large pond on which to row boats), the Rosaleda (rose garden), and the Palacio de Cristal, which is a glass pavilion that is used for art exhibitions.
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4:00 - 6:00 PM: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia Known to have Picasso’s Guernica, this art museum also has impressionist and expressionist paintings from the 20th century.
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Source: www.esmadrid.com
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Source: www.esmadrid.com
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6:00 - 8:00 PM: Museo Nacional del Prado (Free from 6 – 8 PM Mon-Sat, 5 – 7 PM Sunday)
Beautiful, extensive art museum that houses 12th to early 20th century artwork from many Spanish artists such as El Greco, Goya, and Diego Velazquez. It is most well-known for having Velazquez's "Las Meninas", but Goya's tapestries were also truly a sight to see. It is considered to have the single best collection of Spanish art. |
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8:00 - 9:00 PM: Mercado San Miguel The most famous market geared toward tourists that sells unique tapas, fruits, and desserts. Try the Panet, ice cream inside of a bun created by a famous Spanish chef, Jordi Roca.
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Restaurants
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Madrid has a wide range of delicious foods. Each of the restaurants showcased below are based on what foods one wants to try and eat.
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Mercados
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These are marketplaces filled with food, groceries, and drinks. There are many scattered throughout Madrid that offer a variety of delicious dishes.
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Fun Facts
- Once again, I loved the crossing signs in Madrid, as they have two people holding hands. There’s one with two men and another with two women.
- Sometimes, street signs are beautifully presented on painted tiles that are hung on walls.
Other Resources
As responsible travellers, it is important to gain insight from other travellers. I highly recommend checking out these other sites:
