All posts by Jorge

Parque del Retiro / Retiro Park (Madrid)

October 3, 2013Emblematic buildings, Madrid, Streets and monumentsJorge

The Retiro Park (Parque del Retiro) is a very popular park placed in the center of Madrid. It covers more than one square kilometer and it contains a lake with boats, many monuments, fountains, statues, gardens, restaurants and of course, a lot of trees and grass.

The park was built in 1640 by Felipe IV. Nowadays, everyone can visit it for free, and see the ancient buildings and monuments which are in it. Probably, the most famous part of the park is the artificial lake, located in the center of the park, just beside Alfonso XII monument. In there, people are used to resting on the benches, drinking refreshments in the terraces or renting boats. There are also other essential places to visit in the park as the Crystal Palace, which has expositions inside, the Angel Caido Fountain or the rose gardens.

Every day, above all at the weekend and in summer, the park is full of people who want to have a nice time, read, take a lunch, do jogging or rest. Besides, also many people go there to visit the lake, go boating or see the gardens and the monuments which are inside them.

If you want to visit Retiro Park, notice that you will need at least 3 hours to see it all. You can go there by subway using the Line 2 (Retiro Metro Station).

What to visit in Retiro Park

– The lake and Alfonso XII monument: The perfect place to go with your friends and rent a boat or rest away of the stress of the city.

– The crystal Palace: The Crystal Palace isn’t far away from the lake, but surely you will need to ask about it to find the correct place, because the Palace is hidden by the trees. When you arrive at the palace, you will enjoy the fountain which is in front of it and you also could enter in the building, where there are free expositions everyday.

– The rose gardens (La rosaleda): These beautiful gardens was built in 1915 inspired by the Paris ”Bagatelle rose gardens”.

– Paseo de las Estatuas: Also called “Paseo de la Argentina”, it has a lot of statues of some Kings of Spain.

– Angel Caido Fountain: This statue, built in 1885, is famous because it is said that the angel of the fountain is not an angel, but a demon. (If you visit it, please give us your impressions!)

Also, you can…
…rest in the ground: Many people have picnics in the grass. What’s is more, in spring or summer, the park is ideal to stay all the day resting, walking or going on skates.

Finally, in some remarked dates, there are special events inside the park. For example, in spring you can visit the books market in the street (Feria del Libro), or at San Isidro you can go to the park at night to see some fireworks near the lake.

More places to visit near Retiro Park

– Puerta de Alcalá: The Alcalá Gate is placed in Alcalá Avenue, just between Cibeles Square and one of the entrances of Retiro Park. The monument was built in 1778 and it’s the most popular “gate” in Spain.

– Cibeles: In Cibeles Square you will see the famous Cibeles fountain and some important buildings, like Cibeles Palace (Palacio de Comunicaciones), the headquarters of the Madrid city council.

– Neptuno Fountain: This fountain is placed in Cánovas del Castillo Square. Since Cibeles Fountain is used by the supporters or Real Madrid football team, this another fountain is used by the Altetico de Madrid football team’ supporters to celebrate its triumphs.

– Prado, Reina Sofia, Tyssen, Caixaforum and other museums: All of these museums are in the city center. Although we know that it’s impossible to visit all of them on one day, we recommend you to visit Prado and Reina Sofia, which are two of the best museums in the world (notice that you will need about 4hours to visit each one).

– Atocha train station: This station is not abroad from Retiro Park (it’s about 5minutes walking), and it is the most used train and metro stations of Madrid, so if you have to travel by train, probably you will have to go there.

Plaza de España / Spain Square (Seville)

September 28, 2013Seville / Sevilla, Streets and monumentsJorge

Plaza de España (Spain Square) is one of the places that you must visit when visiting Andalusia. Although most of cities in Spain have a square called “Plaza España” (it’s like Gran Via or Plaza Mayor, all cities have one of them) this one is, surely, the most impressive.

In Seville, Plaza de España is located in the middle of Maria Luisa Park, in the city center. The square has a fountain in the middle, rounded for a small lake and a building behind it that gives a traditional style to all the place.

The main building was built in 1929 for the Iberoamerican Exposition of Seville. It has a semicircular shape, with a small lake in its perimeter where people can go boating. You can visit the building for free, rent a boat or walk through the park. As a curiosity, in the base of the building you will find 48 stands, each one with a picture of all the provinces of Spain.

What to do in Plaza de España (Seville)

– To rent a boat by the lake.
– To visit the building and the regional stands.
– To walk through Maria Luisa Park.
– To drink something fresh and refresh yourself in the fountain. (Seville is very hot in Summer!)

Our recommendation is to spend between one and three days visiting Seville. The most common is to visit Maria Luisa Park and Plaza España in two hours (aprox.) and then visit the same day the rest of the city center. For example, you can do it the first day and, the second day you will have time visit other places like monuments, museums, cathedrals, restaurants…

Places to visit in Seville near Plaza España

– Santa Maria Cathedral and La Giralda: Situated in the heart of Seville, near Guadaquivil river, the Gothic Santa María Cathedral in Seville is the largest Cathedral in Spain, and the largest Gothic Christian Cathedral in the world. In fact, the imposing Cathedral measures 116 metres in length and 76 metres in width, being together with the Zaragoza and the Toledo Cathedrals the three unique Gothic Cathedrals with five naves in Spain.

– Torre del Oro: This ancient tower is by the river, near to San Telmo Bridge. The first part of its structure was constructed in the 13th century when the Muslims lived in Andalusia, one century later it was improved and finished by Pedro I.

– Plaza Nueva: There is the Seville’s Town hall.

– Plaza de toros de la Maestranza.

– Archeological Museum and Arts Museum of Seville: Both of them are placed on Maria Luisa Park.

– Canal de Alfonso XIII: This watercourse passes just alongside Maria Luisa Park.

Plaza de Cibeles / Cibeles Square (Madrid)

September 25, 2013Emblematic buildings, Madrid, Streets and monumentsJorge

Cibeles Square is placed in the center of Madrid, at the cross between Alcalá Avenue, Recoletos and Prado Avenue.

There are several reasons because this place is very popular. On one hand it’s in the middle of many remarkable monuments and buildings (in one direction you have Gran Via and Puerta del Sol; in other direction you can visit Retiro’s Park, the most famous park of Madrid, and in the other two directions you have the most important museums of the city: Prado, Reina Sofia, Tyssen and Caixaforum). On the other hand, some remarkable buildings are in Cibeles Square, as Palacio de Comunicaciones, Banco de España and Cibeles Fountain, which is in the center of the roundabout.

As this square is in the cross of the principal avenues of Madrid, it’s common that most of the bus lines start or end there. During the night, you can go to Cibeles Square if you want to find buses with destination to any neighborhood (also to the airport). During the day, you also can take in there the Metro Line 2, at Banco de España.

What to see in Cibeles Square

– Cibeles fountain (Fuente de Cibeles): This is perhaps the most famous fountain in Madrid. It was built in 1777 by Ventura Rodriguez and consist in a statue of the Greek goodness Cybele, mounted in a carriage with two lions.

In Cibeles fountain, the supporters of Real Madrid football team go there to celebrate its triumphs, normally once or twice a year. It’s also a place to protest: Many protest marches start there and go until Puerta del Sol.

– Cibeles Palace: Also called “Palacio de Comunicaciones” or “Correos Bulding” by some people, this awesome building was built in 1919 and currently is the headquarters of the Madrid city council. You can visit the building for free, and inside you will find expositions, a place to rest, a restaurant and a balcony on the highest floor with a marvelous landscape where all of Madrid can be seen.

– Banco de España: This building, built in 1891 is another example of the architecture of the XIX century. By the way, it gives the name to the subway station which is just in front of it.

– Buenavista Palace: This is the headquarters of the Spanish Army. The building was built in 1777 and nowadays you can see a military ceremony in there occasionally.

Other places to visit near Cibeles Square (Madrid)

– Retiro Park (Parque del Retiro): This is the most visited park of Madrid. It has a lake with boats in its center, so you can rent a boat for few money. Besides, you also can visit the Crystal Palace, the Statue Walk and many more interesting places.

– Prado, Reina Sofia, Tyssen, Caixaforum and other museums: All of these museums are in the city center, not far away from Cibeles. Although we know that it’s impossible to visit all of them on one day, we recommend you to visit Prado and Reina Sofia, that are two of the best museums in the world (notice that you will need about 4hours to visit each one).

– Gran Vía and Puerta del Sol: You can arrive at these places in about 5 minutes on foot from Cibeles Square. So if you have already visited all of the buildings and monuments that we have written in this article, you can go there to take a rest. 🙂

Puerta del Sol / Sun Square (Madrid)

September 23, 2013Madrid, Nightlife, Streets and monumentsJorge

Puerta del Sol (which means “Sun Gate”) is the name of the most famous square in Madrid. It is located in the city center, and it is connected with the rest of the city with the 1, 2 and 3 Subway Lines, and other trains lines which start there and finish in the suburbs and towns placed around Madrid.

This emblematic place is one of the reference points more used in the city, and many citizens are used to dating with other people from this point.

What to see in Puerta del Sol

– Real Casa de Correos building: This building was built in 1750 and currently is the headquarters of the regional government. At the top of the building, there is a big bell, which is used to announcing the begging of the year each 31st of December.
Also, the door of the building is the origin of the name “Puerta del Sol”.

– The “Zero Kimoleter” (kilometro cero) of Spain. Since 1950, this is the start point of the radial subways of Spain. Therefore, if you look at the ground at the base of Casa de Correos, you will be able to see a plaque with the text “Km 0: Origen de las carreteras radiales”.

– One of the most famous statues of Madrid is “El oso y el madroño” (it represents a bear climbing a tree). This is the icon of the city, and almost everybody wants to get a photo with it.

– Finally, Puerta del Sol is the perfect area to go shooping: The streets around Puerta del Sol are always overcrowded. In there, you can find a lot of shops, coffee, and discotheques, so there are a lot of activity everyday and every hour.

Read also our post about What to see in Madrid in one week.

More places to visit near Puerta del Sol

– Plaza Mayor: In this traditional square there is a Felipe II statue rounded of white ancient buildings. The young people in the city are used to going to this square to eat squid sandwiches. Moreover, some politicians told once about taking a coffee in there… but from our point of view, there are a lot of better -and cheaper- places in Madrid places to do it).

– San Miguel Market: Inside of this famous market you will find an incredibly variety of food: juices, “tapas”, “croquetas”, hamburgers, fruit, fish… all of this of the highest quality.

– Gran Via: the most famous avenue of Madrid. It has a lot of theaters, coffee and ice cream shops. You can arrive there in 3 minutes from Puerta del Sol going on foot.

– Opera Square: You will find there the Opera Theater.

– Palacio Real and Almudena’s Cathedral: We will talk about these monuments in another article. It’s 10 minutes walking from Puerta del Sol.

– Santo Domingo Square: it’s behind Casa de Correos Building. It’s full of restaurants and bars, so it’s the perfect place to take a lunch.

– Fuencarral Street: You can go there going through Montera Street. Fuencarral is straight on, just after passing Gran Via. Fuencarral is well known because it has a lot of shops and because it’s placed between Malasaña and Chueca, which are two of the most famous neighborhoods of the Madrid.

The best places in Spain

A guide to visit Spain, written by Spaniards