74 Best Sights in Madrid, Spain

Madrid's main train station is a steel-and-glass hangar built in the late 19th century by Alberto de Palacio y Elissague, who became famous for his work with Ricardo Velázquez on the Palacio de Cristal in El Retiro Park. It was the site of one of the 2004 Al-Qaeda train bombings that collectively killed 193 and injured over 2,000, the topic of the worthwhile 2022 Netflix documentary 11M: Terror in Madrid. Today, following renovations by architect Rafael Moneo, the station's main hall resembles a greenhouse; it's filled with tropical trees and contains a busy turtle pool, a magnet for kids.  Beware of detours and delays through 2030. A €491 million renovation is underway that will add train platforms and reroute the station's main entrance through the iconic wrought-iron facade facing Calle de Atocha.

Andén 0 ("Platform 0"), the so-called ghost station of Chamberí, is now a locomotive museum managed by Metro Madrid. It occupies the grand old Chamberí Station, built in 1919 and defunct since 1966. There are vintage advertisements, old maps, and other memorabilia. Tours (free) and placards are in Spanish only. Don't wait for staff to come fetch you after watching the introductory film—just head down to the platform.

This UFO-like tower is 360 feet tall and an excellent viewpoint from which to gaze at some of the city’s most outstanding buildings including the Palacio Real, Palacio de Cibeles (City Hall), the four skyscrapers to the north, and up to 50 landmarks for which you’ll find descriptions in English and Spanish.

The Plaza de Cibeles, where three of Madrid’s most affluent districts (Centro, Retiro, and Salamanca) intersect, is both an epicenter of municipal grandeur and a crash course in Spanish architecture. Two palaces, Buenavista and Linares (baroque and baroque revival, respectively), sit on the northern corners of the plaza and are dwarfed by the ornate Palacio de Cibeles. In the center of the plaza stands one of Madrid’s most defining symbols, Cybele Fountain, a depiction of the Roman goddess of the Earth driving a lion-drawn chariot. During the civil war, patriotic madrileños risked life and limb to sandbag it as Franco's Nationalist aircraft bombed the city.

There's some debate over whether this church, the oldest in central Madrid, once formed part of an Arab mosque. It was more likely built after the so-called Reconquest of Madrid in 1083, but the brickwork and horseshoe arches are evidence that it was crafted by either Mudejars (workers of Islamic origin) or Christian Spaniards well versed in the style. Inside, exhibits detail the Islamic history of early Madrid.

Enter Madrid's "secret garden" through a swinging wrought-iron gate at the north end of Plaza de la Paja. Hiding in plain sight, the 18th-century grounds are a little-known oasis with a burbling fountain, mampuesto stone paths, low-cut boxwood hedges, and a small arbor. Shaded benches around the perimeter feel a world away from the bustling plaza mere steps from where you sit.

The manicured gardens to the north of the Palacio Real, located where the royal stables once were, are a pleasant place to rest or watch the sun set. Renovated in 2022 as part of the Plaza de España overhaul, they are named for the prolific 18th-century architect who designed the Puerta de Alcalá, Royal Botanical Garden, and San Francisco el Grande convent, among other key sights.  

Madrid Río takes in some 32 km (20 miles) of green space and bike-friendly paths along the lazy, shallow Manzanares River, beginning at the Puente de los Franceses in the northwest and terminating at the Pasarela Legazpi in the southeast (though footpaths extend much farther south). A popular place to enter is Puente de Segovia, downhill from the Palacio Real; a Christmas market is held here with craft kiosks and food stalls. Outdoor concerts (check out the Veranos de la Villa series; lineups are posted online) and informal riverside dining round out the park’s offerings. Note to nature lovers: Madrid Río connects to Casa de Campo, Parque del Oeste, and Madrid's 64-km (40-mile) Anillo Verde (Green Ring) bike path.

An unapologetically unrenovated building and budget-friendly tapas and groceries make this market a local favorite for both shopping and snacking. The hangarlike space is busiest on Saturdays from noon to 3 pm, when seafood stalls transform into makeshift fish and shellfish restaurants, frying, steaming, and boiling their freshest wares and serving them on plastic plates alongside jugs of unlabeled table wine—quite the fiesta.

Forget the architectural fruit displays and polished tapas stalls of Mercado de San Miguel or Mercado de la Paz—this market's allure is its rough-and-ready atmosphere, neighborhood crowd, and rock-bottom prices. In the morning and late afternoon, you'll spot locals filling their shopping carts with always-fresh meat and produce; from 1:30 to 3 pm, all three floors teem with families and workers on their lunch break scoping out menú del día (set meal) options.

Chueca's neighborhood market has been reborn. In 2022, the three-floor complex underwent a massive renovation that gutted and revamped the second floor and added 16 new stalls. After browsing the more traditional grocery stalls on the ground floor, take the escalator up to the second for a rollicking tapeo (tapas crawl), or go up one additional flight to imbibe at 11 Nudos, a sceney (if corporate-feeling) rooftop restaurant and bar owned by Spanish craft gin Nordés.

Adjacent to the Plaza Mayor, this gastronomic market—which receives 10 million visitors a year—is a feast for the senses. Its bustling interior—a mixture of tapas spots and grab-and-go counters—sits beneath a fin-de-siècle glass dome reinforced by elaborate wrought iron. Enjoy a glass of wine and maybe a snack here, but save your appetite: the market, as gorgeous as it may be, has become overpriced and underwhelming in recent years. There are two diamonds in the rough: Rocambolesc, with its futuristic ice creams by the Roca brothers, and Daniel Sorlut, a posh oyster bar. 

Once connected to the Palacio Real by an underground passageway, this cloistered Augustinian convent now houses fewer than a dozen nuns. It was founded in 1611 by Queen Margarita de Austria, the wife of Felipe III, and has several artistic treasures, including a reliquary where a vial with the dried blood of St. Pantaleón is said to liquefy every July 27. The ornate church has superb acoustics for medieval and Renaissance choral concerts. Tours are in Spanish only and take about 90 minutes.

This museum boasts three large floors filled with Spanish relics, artifacts, and treasures ranging from ancient history to the 19th century. Among the highlights are La Dama de Elche, the bust of a wealthy 5th-century-BC Iberian woman (notice that her headgear vaguely resembles the mantillas and hair combs still associated with traditional Spanish dress); the ancient Visigothic votive crowns discovered in 1859 near Toledo, believed to date back to the 7th century; and the medieval ivory crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha. There is also a replica of the early cave paintings in Altamira (access to the real thing, in Cantabria Province, is highly restricted). On Saturdays there are free guided 90-minute tours in English (12:30 pm) and Spanish (10:30 am); they're capped at 20 people, so arrive early.

One of Madrid's most captivatingly opulent museums is also one of its least known. This former palace, built in 1893 by the marquis of the same name, preserves the nobleman's art collection including works by El Greco, Tintoretto, Van Dyck, and Zurbarán. These hang in gilded and frescoed halls appointed with ornate period furniture.

The intricate, over-the-top 18th-century doorway to this museum, formerly a hospice, is one of the finest pieces of baroque civil architecture in Spain, so it's a wonder that what lies beyond it flies under the radar of most tourists. Painted fans, period clothing, gleaming china and porcelain, and an exhibit on the Dos de Mayo Uprising are the main attractions, and there are usually a few paintings on loan from the Prado as well.

To catch a glimpse of how the Spanish bourgeoisie lived in the early 19th century, step into this former palace of a marquis. Each room sparkles with ornate period furniture, evocative portraits, and other historical artifacts culled from the height of Spanish Romanticism. It’s worth spending a few minutes admiring the flamboyantly decorated fans and backlit lithophanes as well as Goya's La Piedad, a little-known painting authenticated in 2011 that the museum acquired in 2023. The museum can be seen in an hour or two, but don’t rush out: the plant-filled interior patio is a lovely, tranquil place to enjoy tea and pastries.

Trace the evolution of dress in Spain here, from rare old royal burial garments to French fashion pieces of Felipe V's reign and the haute couture creations of Balenciaga and Pertegaz. Explanatory notes are in English, and the museum has a modern Spanish restaurant, Café de Oriente, overlooking the gardens.

Fossils, gems, minerals, and more glitter beneath the lights at this under-the-radar museum housed in a hundred-year-old neoclassical building. 

This stately mansion of writer and editor José Lázaro Galdiano (1862–1947) is a 10-minute walk across the Castellana from Museo Sorolla. Its remarkable collection spans five centuries of Spanish, Flemish, English, and Italian art. Bosch's St. John the Baptist and a number of Goyas are highlights, with El Greco's San Francisco de Assisi and Zurbarán's San Diego de Alcalá close behind. This museum can be seen as part of the Abono Cinco Palacios, a €12 pass that grants access to five local mansion-museums.

This palatial building showcases 70,000 items including textiles, furniture, jewelry, ceramics, glass, crystal, and metalwork. The collection starts with medieval and Renaissance items on the first floor and ends with 18th- and 19th-century pieces on the top floor. The ground floor rotates temporary exhibitions and avant-garde works. This museum can be seen as part of the "Abono Cinco Palacios," a €12 pass that grants access to five mansion-museums over a 10-day period.

History buffs interested in old vessels and warships shouldn't miss the 500 years of Spanish naval history displayed in this newly renovated museum. The collection, which includes documents, maps, weaponry, paintings, and hundreds of ship models of different sizes, now features English-language placards and is fully wheelchair-accessible. Beginning with Queen Isabel and King Fernando's reign and the expeditions led by Christopher Columbus and the conquistadores, exhibits also reveal how Spain built a naval empire that battled Turkish, Algerian, French, Portuguese, and English armies and commanded the oceans and shipping routes for a century and a half. Moving to the present day, the museum covers Spain's more recent shipyard and naval construction accomplishments.

This ornate building on the southeast side of Plaza de la Cibeles, built at the start of the 20th century and formerly called Palacio de Comunicaciones, is a massive stone compound bearing French, Viennese, and traditional Spanish influences. It first served as the city's main post office and, after renovations, is now an administrative building housing the mayor's office, a cultural center called CentroCentro (a pleasant place to study or work), several exhibition halls, dining options (on the second and sixth floors), and a rooftop lookout.

In 2019, this working palace belonging to the House of Alba, one of Spain's most powerful noble families, formally opened to the public. Its sumptuous halls and creaky passages are hung with works selected from what many consider to be Spain's finest private art collection—you'll spot Titians, Rubens, Velázquezes, and other instantly recognizable paintings. In the library, Columbus's diaries from his voyage to the New World are on display as well as the first Spanish-language Bible and other priceless official documents. The neoclassical palace was built in the 18th century but was bombed during the Spanish Civil War (only the facade survived); its collection of works thankfully were safeguarded during the conflict. The Duchess of Alba oversaw the reconstruction of the palace to its precise original specifications. Visits are by tour only, but if online tickets are sold out, try your luck as a walk-in.

Spring and fall are the best times to jog, stroll, or picnic in this tranquil park with none of the tourist hustle and bustle of El Retiro. Come mid-May, Parque de San Isidro becomes party central with the arrival of the eponymous fiestas; bring family and friends and enjoy the fireworks, concerts, street food (rosquillas! chorizo hoagies!), and rides. Steer clear of this area after sunset.

The historical 19th-century residence Corrala de Sombrerete, which overlooks this lively square from the southeast corner, is one of Madrid's few remaining corralas, tenement houses distinguished by timber frames and a central patio. It is closed to the public but still worth a walk-by. Beyond it is a brick building with a hollow cupola dominating the square: the Escolapios de San Fernando, one of several churches and parochial schools razed due to anti-Catholic sentiments during the Spanish Civil War. It is one of Madrid's only unrepaired Civil War ruins. Though partially refurbished by the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), which turned one section into a library, the building is closed to the public.

Named for Christopher Columbus, this plaza surrounds a statue of the explorer (identical to the one in Barcelona's port) looking west from a high tower. Beyond Plaza de Colón is Calle de Serrano, the city's premier shopping street (think Gucci, Prada, and Loewe). Stroll in either direction on Serrano for some window-shopping.

Madrid's town council met in this medieval-looking complex from the Middle Ages until 2009, when it moved to the Palacio de Cibeles. It now houses municipal offices. The oldest building on the plaza is the Casa de los Lujanes, the one with the Mudejar tower. Built as a private home in the late 15th century, the house carries the Lujanes crest over the main doorway. Also on the plaza's east end is the brick-and-stone Casa de la Villa, built in 1629, a classic example of Dutch-influenced Madrid design with clean lines and spire-topped corner towers. Connected by an overhead walkway, the Casa de Cisneros was commissioned in 1537 by the nephew of Cardinal Cisneros. It's one of Madrid's rare examples of the flamboyant plateresque style, which has been likened to splashed water. Sadly, none of these landmarks are open to the public on a regular basis.

This oblong plaza is Lavapiés's nerve center. To the east is Calle de la Fe (Street of Faith), named for the church of San Lorenzo.

This stately semicircular plaza, sandwiched between the Palacio Real (to its east, or oriente) and the Teatro Real (Royal Theater), is flanked by massive statues of Spanish monarchs that were meant to be mounted atop the palace. Queen Isabel Farnesio, one of the first royals to live in the palace, had them removed because she was afraid their enormous weight would bring the roof down. (That's the official reason; according to local lore, the queen wanted the statues removed because her own likeness wouldn't have been placed front and center.) A Velázquez drawing of King Felipe IV inspired the statue in the plaza's center. Dating to 1640, it's the first equestrian bronze ever cast with a rearing horse. The sculptor, Italian artist Pietro Tacca, enlisted Galileo Galilei's help in configuring the statue's weight so it wouldn't tip over.