Ask the locals: 7 top travel tips for Madrid

20.07.2023 - 13:20 / wanderlust.co.uk / Royal Palace

I highly recommend the beautiful Art Walk. Stretching for just over one kilometre, the walk is home to the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofía Museum, as well as a number of other institutions and buildings well worth visiting. If you're planning on visiting all three museums, I recommend you purchase the Paseo del Arte pass which is valid for one year and allows one visit to the permanent collection of each of the three museums.

Nearby is the Barrio de las Letras (Literary Quarter). In the 17th Century – the Golden Age of Spanish Literature – Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Quvedo, Tirso de Molina and Góngora all lived here as well as many other authors. Some of the streets in this neighbourhood pay tribute to this legacy, along with other brilliant chapters of Spanish history, culture and art.

Don’t miss La Casa Encendida, the social and cultural centre of the ‘Fundación Obra Social’ and ‘Monte de Piedad’, which showcases the most avant-garde exhibitions along with all types of artistic expression, as well as classes and workshops on environmental and community issues. The cultural schedule includes scenic arts, movies, exhibitions, and other examples of contemporary work. The Neo-Moorish style building was designed by Fernando Arbós and opened in 1913, and today offers more than 64,583 square feet of facilities, divided into four floors and a charming roof terrace.

The Landscape of Light is a must-visit. Located in the heart of the capital, it is made up of the Paseo del Prado and the El Retiro Park, recently recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Landscape of Light is home to symbols of Madrid including the Cibeles and Neptune fountains, the Royal Botanical Garden and a large number of historic buildings such as the Cibeles Palace and the Bank of Spain.

Be sure to visit the new sustainable area where 1,100 trees have been planted. The pedestrianised area links the emblematic Plaza de España with the Royal Palace, Almudena Cathedral, the Sabatini Gardens and the Temple of Debod. The transformation here revealed several archaeological remains which can be visited such as two floors of the Godoy Palace, the buttresses of the former Royal Stables and the remains of the 'parapet walk' of the old San Gil barracks.

In the east of the city, not far from Atlético de Madrid's stadium, lies a little-known park called la Quinta de los Molinos. It is home to all kinds of trees, such as olive, pine and eucalyptus and also has wonderful almond trees which blossom in February and March.

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