Royal Landmarks in Madrid
Palaces, cathedrals, and monuments spanning imperial Spain to the modern Royal Family.
must seeRoyal Palace of Madrid
Europe's largest functioning royal palace: 3,000+ rooms of Bourbon excess, a world-class armoury, and the last word in Spanish state pomp.
must seeAlmudena Cathedral
Madrid's main cathedral pairs a somber neoclassical-Baroque exterior with a shockingly colorful, pop-art-style modern ceiling inside.
freeTemple of Debod
A genuine 2nd-century BC Egyptian temple, gifted to Spain and rebuilt stone by stone in a Madrid park — famous above all for its sunset views.
iconicPuerta de Alcalá
A grand five-arched neoclassical gate from 1778, once the ceremonial entrance to Madrid, standing free-standing in its own plaza by Retiro Park.
Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales
A working 16th-century royal convent two minutes from Puerta del Sol, hiding one of Madrid's richest, least-visited collections of Renaissance and Baroque art.
Basílica de San Francisco el Grande
A neoclassical basilica crowned by the largest dome in Spain, with chapels and a sacristy hung with paintings by Goya and Zurbarán.
must seeRoyal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
A monumental 16th-century palace-monastery-mausoleum-library complex 45km outside Madrid, built by Philip II and among Spain's most important historic sites.
Plaza de la Villa
One of Madrid's best-preserved medieval squares, ringed by 15th- to 17th-century buildings just steps from Plaza Mayor, and often overlooked entirely.
iconicMetropolis Building
A Beaux-Arts landmark from 1911 crowned by a gold-leafed dome and winged victory statue, marking the corner of Calle de Alcalá and Gran Vía.