One Great Day in Madrid

by Rick Steves

I’m standing on a tiny balcony overlooking the Times Square of all of Spain — Madrid’s Puerta del Sol. Within a 10-minute walk I can visit one of the greatest palaces in Europe (Madrid’s Royal Palace), the ultimate town square (Plaza Mayor), or my favourite collection of paintings under any single roof in Europe: the Prado Museum.

Just like in New York’s Times Square, crowds in Madrid fill  on New Year’s Eve while the rest of Spain watches the action on TV. 

As Spain’s «Big Ben» atop the governor’s office chimes 12 times, Madrileños eat one grape for each ring to bring good luck through each of the next 12 months.

But unlike New York’s famous gathering space, this square — like so many in Europe — has gone from a traffic nightmare to a more park-like people zone. It’s what makes Madrid lovable. Car traffic has been limited (made possible by the excellent public transportation system), letting the fine old buildings show off their original elegance in an inviting, wide-open setting.

From Puerta del Sol, I’m going to do a blitz tour of three major sights. I start by strolling toward the Royal Palace, which I consider Europe’s third greatest palace (after Versailles, near Paris, and Schönbrunn in Vienna). Over the years, I’ve visited it at least 10 times — and I always learn more fascinating facts to include in my guidebook.

It’s big — more than 2,000 rooms, with tons of luxurious tapestries, a king’s ransom of chandeliers, priceless porcelain, and bronze decor covered in gold leaf. While these days the royal family lives in a mansion a few miles away, this place still functions as a royal palace and is used for formal state receptions, royal weddings, and tourists’ daydreams.

One highlight is the throne room, where red velvet walls, lions, and frescoes of Spanish scenes symbolize the monarchy in a Rococo riot. Another eye-stopper is the dining room, where the king can entertain as many as 144 guests at a bowling-lane-size table. The ceiling fresco depicts Christopher Columbus kneeling before King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel, presenting exotic souvenirs and his New World «friends» to the royal couple. 

Do not also miss the new museum located in front of the Royal Palace, The Gallery of Royal Collections. It is an outstanding artistic enclave that houses an impressive selection of masterpieces from Spain’s royal collections throughout history. Visitors can explore centuries of royal patronage through diverse artistic expressions such as paintings, sculptures and tapestries, providing a complete immersion into the artistic and cultural richness of Spain.

My next stop is Plaza Mayor — a stately, traffic-free chunk of 17th-century Spain. Each side of the square is uniform, as if a grand palace were turned inside-out.Whether hanging out with old friends ,enjoying a cup of coffee, or finding a treasure at the weekly stamp-and-coin market, it’s an appealing place where people gather.

Bronze reliefs under the lampposts show how, upon this stage, much of Spanish history was played out. The square once hosted bullfights. It was the scene of generations of pre-Lent carnival gaiety. And during the Inquisition, many suspected heretics were tried here and punished by being strangled or burned at the stake. Thankfully, the brutality of the Inquisition is long gone.

Now it’s time for a break. The Retiro Park was once the private domain of royalty, a majestic park that has been a favourite of Madrid´s commoners since Carlos III decided to share it with its subjects in the late 18th century. These peaceful gardens offer great picnicking and siesta in this 300-acre-green-and-breezy escape from the city. At midday on Saturday and Sunday, the area around the lake becomes a street carnival with jugglers, puppeteers, and lots of local color of people-watching (closes at dusk). From the Retiro Metro stop, walk to the big lake (El Estanque), where you can rent a rowboat. Past the lake, a grand boulevard of statues leads to the Prado.

My next stop is the Prado Museum, which holds my favourite collection of paintings anywhere. These artworks give an eye-pleasing overview of Spain’s rich history, from its golden age through its slow fade.

The Prado is the place to enjoy the great Spanish painter Francisco de Goya. You can follow this complex man through the stages of his life — from dutiful court painter to political rebel and scandal-maker, to the disillusioned genius of his «black paintings.» It’s also the home of Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas, considered by some to be the world’s finest painting, period. In addition to Spanish works, you’ll find paintings by Italian and Flemish masters, including Hieronymus Bosch’s fantastical Garden of Earthly Delights altarpiece.

With thousands of canvases, including entire rooms of masterpieces by superstar painters, the Prado can be overwhelming. A $215 million expansion, completed in 2007, made this museum more visitor friendly. This newer wing holds a modern café, auditorium, and gift shop — freeing up exhibition space in the original building for more art. But it still gets crowded — do what you can to avoid the hordes. It’s always crowded on weekends and for the last two hours before closing time (when entry tickets are free); it’s worth planning for a weekday visit and paying the admission price to enjoy it well before evening.

My last stop is the Reina Sofia Museum, home to Picasso’s Guernica, is one of Europe’s most enjoyable modern art museums. Ins exceptional collection of 20th-century art is housed in what was Madrid  first public hospital. The focus is on 20th-century Spanish artists-Picasso, Dali, Miro, Gris and Tapies- but you’ll also find plenty of works by many other giants of modern art. 

The curator, who has a passion for cinema, has paired paintings with films from the same decade which play continuously  in nearby rooms. This provides a fascinating insight into the social context that inspired the art of Spain’s tumultuous 20th century. Those with an appetite for modern art and contemporary art can spend several delightful hours in this museum. 

As I walk back to Puerta del Sol, I reflect on this bustling capital — Europe’s highest, at 2,000 feet. Despite phases of economic uncertainty, today’s Madrid is vibrant. Even the living-statue street performers have a twinkle in their eyes. Lively Madrid has enough street-singing, bar-hopping, and people-watching vitality to give any visitor a boost. After every trip to this exciting city, the impression I take home is that of a thriving people with an enduring culture and an irresistible love of life.