Prado Museum
The world-famous art museum on the Paseo del Prado – with paintings by Velázquez, Goya and El Greco, one of the most important museums in the world.
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Capital of Spain
Madrid
Culture, History & Modernity
The pulsating capital of Spain on the Iberian plateau combines royal grandeur with cosmopolitan flair – from the Prado Museum and Royal Palace to the Gran Vía and Plaza Mayor. Madrid is a city where tradition and modernity coexist side by side.
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Founded as Mayrit
About the City
Madrid – The Capital of Spain
Madrid is the capital and, with around 3.2 million residents, the largest city in Spain. It lies on the Meseta Central, the country's central plateau, and stretches over 604 square kilometres. Since its founding as the Arab water reservoir Mayrit in the 9th century, Madrid has been the cultural, economic and political centre of the country.
The city experienced its rise under Philip II in the 16th century and developed under Charles III into a modern European metropolis with broad boulevards and the Buen Retiro Park. Today Madrid is a global meeting point for art, culture and gastronomy – a place where history and the present coexist side by side.
World-famous are the Museo del Prado, the Royal Palace and the Retiro Park. No wonder the city attracts around 10 million international visitors every year.
Places
Discover Madrid
Royal Palace of Madrid
The royal residence, built 1738 – the second largest palace in Europe with 3,418 rooms and magnificent halls.
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Retiro Park
The grand 18th-century park – with the Crystal Palace, lakes, gardens and the Palace of Mirrors.
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Plaza Mayor
The historic heart of the city, built 1617 – surrounded by arcades and restaurants, once the stage of fires and bullfights.
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Bullring (Plaza de Toros)
Spain's largest bullring, built 1749 – a historic site of Spanish bullfighting tradition.
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Gran Vía
Madrid's most famous shopping and business street – from Art Deco façades to modern architecture.
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Almudena Cathedral
The modern 20th-century cathedral, built 1993 – in the heart of the palace district next to the Royal Palace.
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Puerta del Sol
The pulsating heart of the city – with the Sun Square, the King's statue and the zero-kilometre stone.
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Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
The museum of European art in the old palace – with a comprehensive collection from the Renaissance to modernity.
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El Rastro Market
The famous Sunday flea market – a labyrinth of street vendors, antiques and Spanish market atmosphere.
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