Marcel Burger - Third time's the charm

View at the centre of Madrid from the roof of the Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena

The highest situated capital of Europe apart from Andorra la Vella, Madrid can be rather fresh in the winter months. Yet, its grand building facades, the tasty high quality food and the way of living of the Madrileños make the Spanish capital a joy to visit year round. If days are too cold or too rainy, the city has plenty of indoor options. Why not see the famous Guernica by Pablo Picasso in the Reina Sofia museum, or the more classic works of art in the Prado, or go for delicious bites in the San Miguel indoor market? Or, just bring better clothes and enjoy the walk through the different neighbourhoods outside the city centre, as every barrio has something to offer.

I have visited Madrid twice, the first time about 20 years ago for a work assignment and with little time for photos. The second time in mid-March 2025 was for fun only.

Centro | Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor in the afternoon

Calle de Toledo in the afternoon

Calle de Sal in the early morning

The main square of old Madrid of today is actually the fourth one in the city's hands, since the other three were completely or partially destroyed by major fires. After the final one in the year 1790 the neoclassic architect Juan de Villanueva led the reconstruction. He lowered the buildings from five to three upper floors - plus an attic, closed the corners and made large gateways into the square. The work was carried on by two other architects until it was finished more than half a century later in 1854. Arguably the best moment to catch the square is early in the morning, at or shortly after sunrise, and thus before the hordes of tourists and Madrileños flock onto the square.

In the early morning you'll find some pigeons and homeless underneath the arched walkways of the square

Early morning in an arched walkway

View towards the original bakery of the square, the Casa de la Panadería

View from Calle de Gerona

Plaza Mayor in the early morning. The only permanent figure is king Felipe III on a horse (1578 – 1621) who started construction of the first square

The Casa de la Panadería, meaning Bakery House, at Plaza Mayor. Firstly erected in 1690, it underwent sever remoddeling in 1880. The frescos were added in 1992, for which Madrid commissioned the artist Carlos Franco.

Supply trucks come to the square in the early morning.

As well as the cleaning staff.

Great mural decorations one block from Plaza Mayor.

The main square of old Madrid is known as Plaza Mayor only since the end of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Its original name was Plaza del Arrabal and was a market square in the early 1500s. It was later also named as Plaza de la Constitución, Plaza Real and Plaza de la República.

The mini square leading to Calle de Postas, a hundred metres from Plaza Mayor

The beautiful facades of Calle de Toledo

Centro | Mercado de San Miguel

Just around the corner of Plaza Mayor the cute Mercado de San Miguel can be found. Opened first in 1916, the San Miguel Market has been popular for more than a century. Revamped in 2009, the iron and glass structure now serves as a great place for delicious tapas of all kinds - with some of the tastiest fish bites, hams and cheeses served by about 30 vendors to choose from.

Centro | Gran Via

Called it the Broadway of Madrid, with its own "Times Square" (Plaza del Callao) if you'd like: the Gran Via is Madrid's "parade street". It once had loads of theatres. Despite many of them have been replaced by shops, their buildings still stand. But not all is lost, e.g. the Capitol building still holds a cinema.

Close-up of the Capitol building at Plaza del Callao / Gran Via

The Gran Via ("Big Road") is a showcase of 20th century Spanish architecture. Every building seems to compete with the next for attracting one's attention. The 1.3-kilometre (0.8-miles) Gran Via was constructed between 1910 and 1929, and it got much broader pedestrian pavements in 2018. Those sidewalks serve those who love architecture well, as they give you plenty of space to stroll and awe.

Note that Plaza del Calleo was used by producer Álex Pina for the legendary TV series "La casa de papel" (Money Heist) as film set for the bank notes shower scene.

The Capitol building (54 metres tall) ...

... which includes shops.

Bright lid advertisements add to the "Times Square" feeling at Plaza del Callao.

The Gran Via with the Torre de Madrid (Tower of Madrid). With 142 metres tall and 36 floors, one of the tallest buildings of the city. The skyscraper was built between 1954 and 1957. The design is by Julián and José María Otamendi Machimbarrena.

A royal portrait

View at Gran Via towards the Telefónica building (furthest in row)

A bicycle food courier waits underneath the canopy of the Gran Via metro station. In 2018 a modern replica of the old station of 1919 was constructed here.

The Edificio Telefónica (Telefónica Building) is one of the most noteworthy buildings at Gran Via. Designed by Ignacio de Cárdenas, it was built between 1926 and 1929 - clearly inspired by Manhattan in New York. Standing 89 metres (292 feet) tall, the Telefónica Building was the tallest skyscraper of Europe until 1940.

The Telefónica building towering over Gran Via.

Renovation continues on Gran Via

Centro | Puerta del Sol and Calle de Alcalá

Still bearing the name of the 16th century city gate which faced the rising sun, Puerta del Sol is now one of the most-known and busiest squares of Madrid. It is also considered the very centre of the country, with a 0-kilometre mark on the square. It functioned as a hub of the post couriers of the time, and this is still illustrated by the most impressive building at the square: Real Casa de Correos (Royal Postal House). The former post office now houses the offices of the Mayor of Madrid.

Real Casa de Correos

The Tio Pepe sign at Puerta del Sol

Puerta del Sol square facing the north. The statue of the bear and the tree on the left is one of the most photographed spots. Centre in the photo the former Hotel Paris, which used to have the Tio Pepe sign.

At Puerta del Sol, one cannot miss the huge and lighted Tio Pepe sign, advertising the "bottled sun of Andalucía". Dating back to 1936 it was on top of the luxury Hotel Paris at the square, until 2011. After that building was renovated, the new owner, Apple, did not want the sign to return on its megastore. After mass protest of the Madrileños, the municipality found a new spot for it, where it can be appreciated today.

From Puerta del Sol, the Calle de Alcalá runs northeast. It competes with Gran Via with having a great number of noteworthy buildings for architecture lovers. This includes the pretty city gate Puerta del Alcalá.

Goya promotions on the facade of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando at Calle de Alcalá

The neoclassic Puerta del Alcalá from 1774 by Francesco Abatini.

Parque del Buen Retiro

From the monumental gate of Alcalá one steps easily into a magnificent city park. Parque del Buen Retiro has been UNESCO World Heritage since 2001, as a landscape of arts and sciences.

Alfonso XII must have been quite a king in his days (1874-1885), with gigantic monument to the royal who came to power after a military coup.

"The site embodies a new idea of urban space and development from the enlightened absolutist period of the 18th century," the UNESCO writes about the park. "Buildings dedicated to the arts and sciences join others in the site that are devoted to industry, healthcare and research. Collectively, they illustrate the aspiration for a utopian society during the height of the Spanish Empire."

These days, the park is a great escape from the busy buzz of the capital city outside its gates. It's 120 hectares provide a good stretch of the legs, spots for a picnic, an opportunity to see who is the best in paddling his or her love across the pond and has a few architectural highlights as well - apart from lovely greenery of course.

Passeo de Argentina, with statues ignoring each other and ignoring those who walk by.

Paddling small boats on the Estanque Grande de El Retiro (The Great Pond)

With this lion and his brothers keeping a watchful eye.

Refinding balance in a tree-rich environment.

Facade of Palacio de Velázquez

Strolling on a sunny weekend day ....

Palacio de Cristal, under renovation till at least 2027.

Different views on the Monument to Alfonso XII

One of the old - and battered - trees in El Retiro

Centro | The Almudena Cathedral

On the western edge of the Madrid old town are two majestic complexes: the Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena and the Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace), with the Campo del Moro gardens stretching further west to the Manzanares river.

Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena

View to the north from the roof of the cathedral. The Royal Palace is right behind it.

Construction of the Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena (Cathedral of Saint Mary the Royal of the Almudena) begain in 1883 and lasted a whole century. Polish visitors might be delighted to see a giant image of pope Jana Pawla II (John Paul II) in the church's museum, commemorating the pope's consecration of the cathedral in 1993, when it was finally finished.

The cathedral's roof is the perfect spot to get a clear view over Madrid, the roofs of the old town, the royal palace below and the mountains in the background - which show off with snow in winter months.

Relatively modern interior of the cathedral.

Details of the reliefed bronze front doors to the cathedral.

The top of the dome on the inside.

View to the east over the rooftops of Madrid from the cathedral's rooftop terrace.

View to the north from the rooftop terrace of the Almudena Cathedral. Notice the snowy mountains seen in mid-March. The shiny silver towers are part of the Príncipe Pío railway station.

Note the Edificio España (Spain Building) in the near distance.

Note the Edificio España and the higher Torre de Madrid in the near distance.

View to the south from the rooftop terrace of the Almudena Cathedral. The dome structure on the right is the Real Basílica de San Francisco el Grande (Royal Basilica of Saint Francis the Great).

Centro | Palacio Real de Madrid

Being the biggest royal palace in Europe, the Palacio Real de Madrid looks indeed rather massive. But all its floor space (135,000 m2 or 1,450,000 sq ft) and 3,418 rooms are hardly used, as the Royal Palace of Madrid is currently only used for official ceremonies.

The grounds of the Royal Palace were initially home to a Muslim fortress. Expanded through the centuries, the Alcazar burned down in 1734. The Bourbon dynasty then ordered the construction of the palace. With Filippo Juvarra and Giovanni Battista Sacchetti as its main designers, the palace stood ready in 1755. It was subsequently enlarged and modified during the centuries after.

The Palacio Real de Madrid seen from the rooftop terrace of the adjacent cathedral.

Plaza de la Armería as the square basically looks since 1892.

Centro | Viaducto de Segovia

A stone's throw away from the cathedral and the palace is the Viaducto de Segovia. If walking to the cathedral from Plaza Mayor, one cannot miss the viaduct on your left-hand side. It dates back to 1932, when it replaced an iron bridge on this major road into the centre of Madrid from the south. It towers 25 metres (82 feet) above the once basin of the San Pedro Creek.

The overpass was severely damaged by artillery during the Spanish Civil War in 1936 to 1939, but was restored in 1942. During the 1970s, a debate broke loose on demolishing the bridge and replace it with a new one as traffic picked up and the bridge's design from the 1920s was clearly not structurally ready to accommodate this. However, the city decided to limit traffic and reconstruct parts of the bridge, making it two metres (6.6 feet) higher than before and increasing its span by almost 200 metres (656 feet) - while keeping the original bridge's core design intact.

One of the support arches of the Segovia Viaduct.

The Segovia Viaduct seen from the rooftop terrace of the nearby cathedral.

Centro | Parque del Oeste

Parque del Oeste is situated just north of the Royal Palace and contains a temple gifted by Egypt to Spain. Word has it, the African country just sent the stones and gave the Spaniards no instructions. In mid-March, you might see the first blossom trees, giving the park already some colour. Parque del Oeste is a nice spot to witness the sunset, and to have a more distant view of the cathedral.

A trumpet / guitar player lights up the viewpoint with music. The Aldmudena Cathedral cannot be missed from here.

View at Torre de Madrid and Spain Building from Parque del Oeste

Centro| Barrio de Maravillas (Universidad / University Quarter)

Just north of the tourist ground zero of Madrid lies the University Quarter or Universidad, also known as the Barrio de Maravillas. Popular among the Madrileños parts of it can be packed on a beautiful day, come shortly after it rains, and you notice that the people of Madrid do not really know how to handle adversary weather - it is much quieter.

Calle de Quiñones seen from Plaza de las Comendadores

Café Moderno at Plaza de las Comendadoras, used by Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar as a film set in Madres Paralelas.

Plaza del Dos de Mayo.

Azca | Torre Picasso

Architecture buffs will find some cool spots outside the city centre of Madrid. Travelling north the Azca neighbourhood is dominated by a skyscraper that reminds of the World Trade Center in New York which was downed by terrorists attacks in 2001. This is not weird, as the Torre Picasso was designed by the same architect: Minoru Yamasaki.

View from the side up to the top of the Torre Picasso. Circolo Populare is the wine and food place on the side of the building.

The Picasso Tower was the very top of Madrid from 1988 until 2007, with 157 metres (515 ft) all the way from the ground to the helicopter platform on its roof. Its 51 floors are the offices of up to 6,000 people - although many likely work days at home since the Covid epidemic. Torre Picasso has its own website with more food for number crunchers: 20,000 square metres (215,275 sq ft) of aluminium on the outside of the building, weighing 500 tonnes. Moreover, 9,000 m2 (96,875 sq ft) of windows, weighing 10,000 tonnes. If you feel you're being watched when visiting the tower, you are absolutely right. If it is not a security guard in the lobby, the more than 200 security cameras keep an eye on things.

Front view of the Torre de Picasso. Notice the security guard in the lobby.

Detailed view of the aluminium and windows on the outside of the building.

The Torre Picasso in its Azca 'habitat'

Plaza Castilla

Take the main road north of the city centre - by car, bus, metro or bicycle - and sooner or later you cross the big roundabout of Plaza Castilla. Here the city planners went crazy, with putting too many distractions for the eye on one spot.

Plaza Castilla with the Realia towers, a giant gold-coloured needle and the monument for José Calvo Sotelo. The killing of this politician in 1936 led to a military coup and subsequently the Spanish Civil War.

Also at the Plaza Castilla is a beautiful constructed water tower ...

... and the Canal Isabel Il waterworks.

A historic valve of the water works of Madrid.

Brutalism in Prosperidad: Torres Blancas

For those who love brutal architecture, the Torres Blancas is a must-visit when in Madrid. Standing 81 metres (233 feet) tall, with 23 floors, at the southern edge of the Prosperidad area, it looks much more massive when coming out of the Cartagena metro stop underneath.

The Torres Blancas was built between 1964 and 1969. Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza was the main architect; he moved in as soon as the towers were ready and reportedly lived there until his dead in July 2000 at age 81. Leonardo Fernández Troyano and Carlos Fernández Casado supported Oiza's work on the towers.

The tower's structure is a series of cylinders, with round balconies attached. The top floor has a pool, apparently. Those who take a good look at the Torres Blancas can easily see it is actually one tower; the second planned one was never built, but the name stayed. According to the know Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Oiza wanted to "create a unique, very tall residential building that would grow organically, like a tree or a tree complex, traversed vertically by stairs, lifts, and installations, like veins or woody vessels connecting the flats to the ground". The top of the towers open up like a canopy of a tree.