If you only have a day and do not know the city at all, go grab a map and don't miss these sights.
Paseo del Prado- This is one of the main boulevards in Madrid, Spain which comprises three museums; the most famous Prado Museum, the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum and the the Reina Sofia Museum. There might not be enough time to go inside the three museums but you can rather see the famous fountains in this area.
The Paseo del Prado taken as we were touring with the bus.
Plaza dela Cibeles- a square where you can see the famous Cibeles Palace, home of the City Hall in Madrid. It is a square with a neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become an iconic symbol for the city of Madrid. Plaza dela Cibeles is one of Madrid's landmarks.
Puerta de Alcala- It is the main entrance to the city and now the symbol of Madrid. It was built by Francisco Sabatini to commemorate Charles III entrance to Madrid in 1778. It has a Neo-classical style made of granite and stone from Colmenar Viejo.
Puerta del Sol- This is one of the busiest places in the city and located in the heart of Madrid. At the center of the plaza, you can see the Statue of King Charles III on horseback, facing the Royal Post Office (Real Casa de Correos). This is the favorite meeting place for locals and you can also find here a lot of street performers and artists. Festivals, demonstrations and other activities are also being held here. Beware if you are in this plaza, there are a lot pickpocketers and anyone else looking to take advantage of all the tourists on hand.
We did some shopping at the El Corte Ingles in this area.
Plaza Mayor- An impressive and stunning square and perhaps the best known plaza in Madrid. This is also a must-see when visiting Madrid. Until today, it continues to accommodate a whole range of activities., There is a Christmas market going on in this plaza during our visit last Dec. 10, 2011. You can surely find a unique and relaxed atmospheric surrounding in this square. I remember buying some souvenirs in one of the shops there.
The Plaza Mayor during our visit last Dec. 10, 2011
The Royal Palace of Madrid- King Philip V commissioned it to be built in the 18th century. It is an enormous palace and considered to be one of the biggest in Europe. It has an impressive collection of paintings, musical instruments and armoury.
The Catedral de la Almudena is just facing the Royal Palace.
The Royal Palace of Madrid.
If you still have the time, you can also visit El Retiro Park, Plaza dela Villa, Las Ventas Bullring, Gran Via, Templo De Debod, Plaza de Castilla and other interesting sights that might be of interest to you.
The Barajas airport in Madrid, Spain. This is where we landed and take-off during our 8-days trip to Spain. I should get a better picture of it. Maybe in my next visit.
Madrid is served by Barajas Airport with international flights from all over the world. It serves as the main gateway to the Iberian peninsula from Europe, America and the rest of the world. It is also the main hub of Iberia airlines. Barajas airport is knonw to be one of the busiest airport in Europe and in the whole world. The architecture of this airport is also worth to see if you are not flying. Low cost airlines such as Easyjet, Vueling and Ryanair use this airport for domestic, international and transcontinental flights.
