Madrid

Arco de la Victoria

Puerta de la Moncloa

Francoist triumph arch erected 1950–56 to commemorate the Nationalist victory in the Battle of Ciudad Universitaria of the Civil War.

Basílica La Milagrosa

Church from the 1900s in Neo-Mudéjar and Gothic revival style, dedicated to Our Lady of Miracles.

CaixaForum Madrid

A private centre particularly well-known for the 'vertical garden' by Patrick Blanc installed on a wall in front of the museum, as well as the quite special architecture of the building itself. The vertical garden can be seen from the street outside, just a block south of the Thyssen-Bornemisza and across from the Prado. The museum only displays temporary exhibitions, usually of a very high quality, in fields ranging from archaeology to contemporary art and architecture.

Daily 10:00-18:00, open holidays·€6, free (La Caixa account holders), free on 15 May, 18 May, 9 Nov

Casa Gallardo

Imposing and highly ornamental Art nouveau (or modernismo) building at the western corner of Plaza de España, designed by Federico Arias Rey and completed in 1914.

Casa de Campo

The park at the rear of the Palacio Real which used to belong to the Royal family. Much of the park has been taken to smaller activity parks such as the Zoo but in general it's peaceful. From Moncloa you can take a teleferico (€5.90 return) across into the park.

Catedral de la Almudena

This massive cathedral faces the Palacio Real. Finished near the end of 20th century in the Neo-Gothic style, it is where the Princes of Asturias Felipe (current King Felipe VI) and Letizia were married in 2004. Especially noteworthy are the 5,000-pipe organ, a large painted 15th-century Gothic altarpiece, and the empty 12th-century coffin of Madrid's patron saint, Isidro. Like many cathedrals before it, construction took a while, being started in the 19th century while it was only inaugurated in 1992. The cathedral thus reflects a mixture of styles which sometimes harmonize and sometimes clash. One of the reasons for the late start of construction of a cathedral in the capital of one of the world's most catholic states was the power of the archbishops of Toledo who did not want to give up their ecclesiastical power to the upstart Madrid. Similarly the monarchy had moved its residence from Toledo to Madrid in part to escape the influence of the church and installing a bishop in Madrid (a requirement for a cathedral) seemed somewhat counter productive. The cathedral is also the site of many burials of important figures, including the daughter of Franco.

Daily 09:00-20:30·€1 (requested donation)

Constitutional Tribunal

Tribunal Constitucional

Modern circular building from the early 1980s, designed by architects Bonet and Valdés.

Cuatro Torres

Four Towers

Four sleek skyscrapers, constructed between 2004 and 2009. Standing 224 to 249 metres tall, they are the highest in Spain. From south to north, they are named Torre Cepsa, Torre PwC, Torre de Cristal, and Torre Espacio. In the latter, the embassies of Great Britain, Australia and Canada are seated.

Estación de Chamberí

Chamberí Ghost Station

Former metro station designed by architect Antonio Palacios (creator of the Palacio de Cibeles, Círculo de Bellas Artes and Hospital de Maudes). It was inaugurated in 1919, but closed in 1966, thereby becoming a "ghost station". Since 2008 it has been converted to a museum, exhibiting original counters, signs, maps and advertising posters from earlier ages.

Fri 16:00-20:00, Sat 10:00-1400&16:00-20:00 Sun 10:00-14:00·Free, booking from website (Spanish) linked from English site.

Faro de Moncloa

Torre de Iluminación y Comunicaciones del Ayuntamiento de Madrid

A 92 m high tower with an observation deck that you can access by elevator. In theory your visit is limited to 30 minutes, but you're likely to want to go down before the time is up.

EUR 4

Faunia

Zoological park. Different sections of the park include animals from different locations (Africa, Antarctica etc..)

Hours vary by season·€26.45 (adults), €19.95 (seniors/children), €18.45 (disabled), free (children under 3); ticket prices are significantly cheaper if purchase online

Fundación Juan March

Juan March Institute

A few blocks off high-end shopping street Calle Serrano, this private foundation houses free temporary exhibitions of (mostly 20th-century) art which are often worth checking out. 10-15 min walk from either Museo Lázaro Galdiano or National Archaeology Museum.

Mon-Fri 11:00-20:00, Sat 11:00-14:00·Free

Gran Vía

Literally 'Great Way' (better translated as 'Broadway'), Gran Vía is one of the busiest avenues in Madrid. Running from Plaza de España to Plaza de Cibeles, it is the location of the cinema district and a number of shopping malls and is lined with large billboards and lights. There's a constant buzz of traffic and life – 03:00-04:00 early morning traffic jams are not unusual.

Hospital de Maudes

Former hospital complex, built in 1916 in an eclecticist style (similar to Palacio de Cibeles, that was designed by the same architects). It includes a church, Santa María del Silencio. The hospital was intended to serve the poorer classes, therefore nicknamed Hospital de Jornaleros ("hospital of day labourers"). After the Civil War it became a military hospital, before falling out of use in 1970. In the 1980s, it was acquired by the autonomous Community of Madrid, refurbished and has since then housed the council of public works as well as a library.

La Tabacalera

An abandoned tobacco factory turned into a huge Berlin-like alternative art space driven by the diverse locals of Lavapies district. Also free workshops daily. Nice big cheap outdoors terrace. It is hoped that the closure is temporary and that it will return in a reduced form after works, check website for current situation.

Closed in 2024

Mercado de la Cebada

Once a glass and iron market of the late 19th century, it is now a vaulted concrete building which still serves as a neighborhood market. Where it used to stand an annexed public swimming pool and sports facilities, it lies now an empty field, used and managed by a neighbor association.

Museo Arqueológico Nacional

National Archeology Museum

Don't let the sound of it frighten you. This large, well-designed museum opened again in April 2014 after several years of renovation works. It houses an incredible collection of archaeological finds from across the peninsula. It leaves the visitor with a sense of the chronology of civilization in Spain (Iberian, Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Visigoth, Arab, and into the modern age). The famous Dama de Elche, an Iberian (pre-Roman) goddess statue, is in this museum. There are also a few pieces from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Tue-Sat 09:30-20:00, Sun and holidays 09:30-15:00·€3 (adults), €1.50 (concessions); free on Sa after 14:30, Su mornings, and national holidays

Museo Geominero

Geo-mining Museum

Part of the Spanish Institute of Geology and Mining, this museum is dedicated to Geology (with a focus on Mineralogy) and Paleontology, containing an impressive collection of fossils and minerals discovered on the territory of Spain and abroad. Also contains educational exhibits, although all are described in Spanish only. The interior of the building is just as impressive and may be worth a quick tour even if you are not particularly interested in Paleontology and Mineralogy.

Free

Museo Lázaro Galdiano

Museum of Lázaro Galdiano

This museum houses the stunning collection of Spanish entrepreneur José Lázaro Galdiano (1862-1947) and is considered to be one of the best private collections in Spain. Not only will you find works by Goya, Velázquez, El Greco and others - the museum is also filled with jewelry, furniture, sculpture and ceramics. It is located in Lázaro Galdiano's rather lavish former residence. This is an excellent museum that is usually not crowded and well worth the price of admission.

Tue-Sat 10:00-16:30, Sun 10:00-15:00; closed Jan 1, Easter Thu and Fri, May 2 and 3, Nov 1, Dec 6 and 25·€6 (adults), €3 (seniors/students/disabled), free (children under 12); free admission Tu-Sa 15:30-16:30 and Su 14:00-15:00

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

Museo Reina Sofía / Reina Sofía National Museum and Art Center

Housed in a former public hospital with an adjacent modern wing, this museum contains Spain's largest collection of 20th century art. Created to house Pablo Picasso's renowned Guernica, allowed after the return of democracy to Spain, the work was initially behind armoured glass. That's gone, but you are kept further away from it that anywhere else in the gallery, and another room includes some Picasso etchings that were damaged in a 1971 political attack. The Reina Sofía also houses masterpieces by other Spanish masters including Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí, Juan Gris, and others, as well as works by a number of international artists, including Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Francis Bacon, and more. Purchasing tickets in advance no longer gives you a discounted entry but is a way to beat the queues. During free admission periods, it is still required to pick up a ticket at the ticket office; these times are especially busy and it is best to arrive a bit before the free period actually begins. Photography is permitted, except for the work of Oskar Schlemmer (even though he died in 1943). Backpacks are not permitted, but there are free lockers after both entrances (in the older and modern wings).

Mon Wed-Sat 10:00-21:00, Sun 10:00-19:00·€12 (adults), free admission M W-Sa 19:00-21:00, Su 13:30-19:00

Museo Nacional de Antropología

National Museum of Anthropology

Small but interesting museum with artefacts and models from the indigenous people of Asia (mainly the Philippines, former colony of Spain), Africa and America. The exhibits are described in Spanish; however, on each floor, there is a leaflet in English explaining all sections.

Tue-Sat 09:30-20:00, Sun and holidays 10:00-15:00·€3 (adults), €1.50 (concessions), free (seniors/students/children under 18); free Sa after 14:00 and Su

Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales

MCNM / National Museum of Natural Sciences

Contains a large collection of fossils and minerals, plus educational exhibits (some are described in English but many are in Spanish only). Has two parts open to visitors with separate entrances. The ticket is purchased at the main entrance and to visit the other part you need to exit from the main entrance, turn left and follow the building until you reach the second entrance. Your ticket will be checked again there so don't lose it.

Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat Sun and holidays 10:00-20:00; Sat Sun in Aug 10:00-15:00·€7 (adults), €3.50 (students/children 4-16), free (seniors/children under 4)

Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales

MCNM / National Museum of Natural Sciences

Contains a large collection of fossils and minerals, plus educational exhibits (some are described in English but many are in Spanish only). Has two parts open to visitors with separate entrances. The ticket is purchased at the main entrance and to visit the other part you need to exit from the main entrance, turn left and follow the building until you reach the second entrance. Your ticket will be checked again there so don't lose it.

Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat Sun and holidays 10:00-20:00; Sat Sun in Aug 10:00-15:00·€7 (adults), €3.50 (students/children 4-16), free (seniors/children under 4)

Museo Naval de Madrid

Naval Museum of Madrid

A beautiful museum with a large interesting collection about Spanish naval history, from the efforts of kingdoms of Aragon and Castilia, the many successes and few failures (what's known in English as the defeat of the Spanish Armarda has a section) in the 15th-17th centuries, the drastic decline in the 19th century and its consequences in terms of losing the country's empire, the division of the navy into opposing sides in the 1930s Civil War, to today. It's almost all labelled in English as well as Spanish. A temporary exhibition traces today's Spanish flag from its origin as the navy's attempt to have one that contrasted well with other navy's flags, and the museum has the very large flag flown by the Spanish flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar (the loss is blamed on the French admiral for insisting on sailing out of Cadiz to fight it!)

Sep- Jul: Tue-Sun 10:00-19:00; Aug: Tue-Sun 10:00-15:00·Free (donations requested)

Museo Sorolla

This museum is in what was the impressionist painter's house and features fine furniture and porcelain as well as his paintings.

Tue-Sat 09:30-20:00, Sun and holidays 10:00-15:00·€3 (adults), €1.50 (concessions); free admission Sa after 14:00 and all day Su

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

Contains a large art collection including masterpieces by Monet, Goya, Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh, Picasso, Mondrian, Bacon and Lichtenstein.

Permanent collection and Francisco Bores: Tue-Sun 10:00-19:00, Mon 12:00-16:00; Bulgari and Rome collections: Tue-Fri 10:00-19:00, Sat 10:00-21:00, Sun 10:00-19:00·€13 (adults), €9 (concessions), free (children under 12) and all at certain times (see website)

Museo de América

An excellent museum that many tourists miss. Houses thousands of artifacts from the Americas. The exhibit displays objects from many native cultures from before European conquest to colonial times and beyond. Don't miss the Tesoro (Treasure) de los Químbayas, a collection of gold objects that was given as a gift by the Colombian government. Also of interest is the Tudela Codex, an Aztec law book from the 1500s. Beware: most explanations to the objects on display are in Spanish only.

Tue-Sat 09:30-15:00, Thu 09:30-19:00, Sun and holidays 10:30-18:00; closed Jan 1, May 1, Dec 24, 25, 31·€3 (adults), €1.50 (concessions), free (seniors/children under 18); free on Su

Museo de Ferrocarril de Madrid

Railway Museum of Madrid

Museum with four railway tracks, exhibiting a large number of steam, diesel and electric locomotives used in Spain in the 19th and 20th century. Also on display are several model railways. Exhibits are described in Spanish only.

Oct-May: Mon-Thu 09:30-15:00, Fri and holidays 10:00-18:00, Sat Sun 10:00-20:00; Jun-Sep: Tue-Sun 10:00-15:00·M-Th F before 14:00, holidays: €6 adult, €4 concession, free child under 4; F after 14:00, Sa Su €2.50

Museo de Historia de Madrid

Museum of History of Madrid

This museum is dedicated to the history of Madrid from 1561 to present. Much of the history is explained by referencing exhibited paintings depicting people or events from the time, so it is also an art museum. Several maps and models (including two large ones in the basement) show how Madrid grew since the 16th century. All exhibits are explained in both English and Spanish.

Tue-Sun 10:00-20:00·Free

Museo de San Isidro

Los Orígenes de Madrid / San Isidro Museum

This is a museum of two parts. One part is dedicated to Saint Isidore the Laborer, while the other part is dedicated to the paleontology and archaeology of the region of Madrid from prehistory to 1561 (when Philip II made Madrid the seat of the court). Most of the exhibits are explained in both Spanish and English.

Mid-Sep - Jun: Tue-Sun and holidays 09:30-20:00; Jul - mid-Sep: Tue-Sun 10:00-19:00, closed Jan 1 and 6, May 1 and Dec 24, 25 and 31.·Free