Madrid Atocha Station, also called Madrid Puerta de Atocha, is the largest railway station in Madrid. At this same site, the first railway station in Madrid was opened on February 9, 1851 under the name of Atocha-Mediodía. Este edificio fue reconstruido y reabierto en 1892, después de que fue destruido en gran parte por un […]
El Rastro is an outdoor market that takes place every Sunday morning, where originally used objects, and antiques are sold. It’s been going for more than 250 years, as the usual market for the sale, exchange and dealing of used objects. Today it has both, new and used, but always, the opportunity of negotiation, like […]
Mayan Ritual today in Plaza Colon in Madrid, starting at 12:12 hours. Preparing to receive the New Age that begins with the end of the Mayan Calendar.
Pedraza is a medieval walled town, located 37 km (23 Miles) northeast of Segovia, with a resident population of 467 people (2011). It was declared Historical Complex in 1951. Thanks to some clay pots found, it showed that this place existed 400 years BC. Also it is known that it was occupied by the Muslims, […]
The Madrid-Barajas Airport is located in the vicinity, northeast of Madrid city center. It is the first Spanish airport by traffic of passenger, and air cargo operations, the fourth largest in Europe, and the eleventh in the world. Barajas Airport, has 4 terminals, from which terminals 1, 2, and 3, flights are classified according to […]
The San Miguel Market is located in the plaza of the same name, next to the Plaza Mayor of Madrid. It preserves the original interesting iron structure of the early twentieth century. This building has been closed for many years, and currently a group of private individuals came with the idea to open a very […]
Manzanares El Real is located in the Sierra de Guadarrama, 50 kilometers away from Madrid, in the upper basin of the Manzanares River, immersed in nature and near the Regional Park “La Pedriza”. The Castle of the Mendoza, also known as New Castle of Manzanares El Real, is one of the best preserved medieval fortresses […]
Torre Picasso is located in Madrid, Spain, and it is one of AZCA commercial business complex skyscrapers. It is next to Paseo de la Castellana, one of the most important avenues of Madrid. Until 2007, this building was the tallest skyscraper of Madrid. Since that year, La Torre Espacio, which is at the CTBA complex, […]
The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, was inaugurated on December, 14, 1947 and it is owned by Real Madrid Football Club. It is located on the Paseo de la Castellana, very close to the AZCA commercial complex, where most of Madrid’s skyscrapers are. This is the reason to include it on the skyline walking tour section of […]
The four buildings of the CTBA, are standing next to each other, and on this photo, you can see the reflection of Torre Espacio (Space Tower), on the Crystal Tower. The Crystal Tower, is located North of Madrid. With its 249 meters and 52 storeys, it is the tallest building in Spain and the eighth […]
As you wander the streets of Salamanca, you will stumble across many churches, convents, and university buildings. The Dominican Convent of St. Stephen, is of particular interest, and one of the city’s most impressive historical attraction. The Dominican friars, settled in Salamanca between 1255 and 1256. In this current site occupied by the Iglesia de […]
Salamanca was founded in the pre-Ancient Rome period by the Vacceos, a Celtic tribe, as one of the forts to defend their territory near the Duero river. This recent picture, mixes eighteenth century Baroque style of the Plaza Mayor, with today’s modern art. In this picture, the monumental sculptures called The Meninas by Manolo Valdés, […]
In the image above, detail of two cathedrals are shown. The Romanesque style of the old cathedral is shown in the Torre del Gallo, and to the right, the dome of the New Cathedral. On this photo, you can see the Cathedral taken from what remains of the Wall, that once surrounded the city of […]
Toledo is located on the right bank of the Río Tajo, on a hill a hundred feet above the river, which surrounds it at its base, forming a sharp bend known as “Torno del Tajo”, at the right of this picture. This photo was taken from the terrace of the “Parador”, which is a Spanish […]
El Escorial is a complex of a palace, a basilica, and a monastery in a town of Madrid (province), called San Lorenzo de El Escorial. The palace was the residence of the Spanish Royal Family, and in the basilica, there is their pantheon, and burial chambers. El Escorial is one of the most unique Renaissance […]
Chinchon is located in the southeast of Madrid Community, 44 kilometers (28 Miles) away from the capital city. The special geographical condition next to the Tajuña River, has promoted human settlement since ancient times. The town of Chinchón, in addition to the historical and artistic attractions, keep alive their traditions, and offers visitors with a […]
El Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen or the Abbey of the Holy Cross) is a monument built between 1940 and 1958. It is located in the municipality of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, in Madrid (Spain). It is located 9.5 km north of the Monastery of El Escorial in the Sierra […]
The Royal Palace of Aranjuez is one of the residences of the Spanish Royal Family, managed and maintained by the National Trust. Located in the Villa de Aranjuez (Madrid), on the banks of the Tajo River. It was built by Felipe II of Spain, who entrusted the project to the architect Juan Bautista de Toledo, […]
The monument to King Alfonso XII, is a sculpture located at the east side of the pond, near the center of the Retiro Park. The monument, funded by public subscription, was inaugurated on June 6, 1922. It is composed of a large colonnade with large number of sculptures that surround the equestrian statue of the […]
The Crystal Palace, has in front an artificial lake, where you can find bald cypress trees (Taxodium distichum), with their main characteristic, that part of the trunk, and roots are under water. The building is surrounded by Buckeyes or Spanish Chestnut trees. The palace has suffered great damage over time, due to the wars, but […]
Retiro Park has many beautiful sculptures and fountains, and this one called La Alcachofa (artichoke) was designed by Ventura Rodríguez and decorated with sculptures by Alfonso Giraldo Bergaz, and Antonio Primo. It was built in 1781 and located close to Puerta de Atocha. It was transferred in 1880 to its present location in the southwest […]
This is the back (at the east), of the Prado Museum. It is the newly built part (2007), with the back of the original building at your left, and the new Moneo Cube or Los Jerónimos building, to the right of the church with the same name. A better view of the Moneo Cube: The […]
The Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid, is a research center of the National Research Council. Founded on October 17, 1755 by King Fernando VI near the River Manzanares. It was Carlos III who ordered to move it to its current location on the Paseo del Prado in 1781. This botanical garden is arranged in three […]
Just outside one of the gates of El Retiro Park, we get this building, right in front of us. El Casón del Buen Retiro, is one the two buildings that survived the destruction of the Buen Retiro Palace. Built in 1637 by Alonso Carbonell, it was initially designed as a ballroom space for the Court […]
We call it Madrid’s Lungs, due to its dimensions, and natural vegetation. Casa de Campo, is the main park of Madrid with its 1722 Hectares, it is twice the size of Bois de Boulogne in Paris, and 6.5 times larger than Hyde Park in London. It gives us an escape from the noise, and other […]
The construction of Puente de Segovia, was ordered by King Phillip II to his favorite architect Juan de Herrera, between 1582 and 1584, who followed the classical solution used in the Roman bridges. The Bridge over the Manzanares River, is made out of granite with 9 arched padded spans, and on the parapet of the […]
The Vicente Calderón Stadium is located on the east bank of the Manzanares River, in Arganzuela district. It is owned by Atletico de Madrid SAD, team owner of Club Atlético de Madrid. The Club Atlético de Madrid, Mahou brewery, and the city of Madrid, signed on the 30th of July 2007, an agreement by which […]
The Puente de Toledo was built between 1718 and 1732, by the architect Pedro de Ribera. This bridge connects the two banks of the Manzanares River, linking the Glorieta Pirámides, on the east bank, with the Marqués de Vadillo on the west bank. Baroque style, this bridge was built between 1718 and 1732. In 1956, […]
The Arganzuela Bridge crosses the Manzanares River, and the Madrid Rio Park, linking two of Madrid´s districts, Carabanchel and Arganzuela. This bridge was designed by French architect Dominique Perrault, and its construction began late on year 2010. It was opened in March 2011. It consists of two tubular sections of 278 meters in length, that […]
The “Campo del Moro”, is a 49 acres park located in the western part of the Palacio Real. It is the area that goes from the palace, down the slope towards the Manzanares River, and it is one of three gardens, surrounding the palace. After the first attempts, by King Philip II (1527-1598), the final […]
The monumental work “Brushstroke” (1996), was installed in the central square of the building designed by Jean Nouvel. This was done to expand the Reina Sofia Museum, and for this occasion, the great exhibition of Roy Lichtenstein’s work, “All About Art”, which took place in 2004. After that, the sculpture Brushstroke, became part of the […]
The photo shows the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum in the Villahermosa Palace, at the corner of Paseo del Prado, with Carrera de San Jerónimo. The Thyssen Bornemisza Museum is named after the Thyssen family, who began collecting art since 1920. In the 80s, what was considered the largest private art collection in the world, was donated to […]
Walking down from Callao, to Plaza España, a few meters to the right of Gran Via, you may find a traditional market called Los Mostenses. In your walking tour, you could give it a quick look, or continue on to Plaza España.
Just a few meters off Gran Via, there is this traditional food market. Visiting these markets, is a good way to see the life style of local people doing a very common everyday activity. It’s interesting to see how the products sold on this market, have changed with time. Ten years ago, there was mostly […]
The Debod Temple is an ancient Egyptian construction that was originally in a small locality next to the Nile River with the name of Debod. Currently was moved, stone by stone, and located in Madrid. Debod Temple was a gift from Egypt to Spain in 1968, in return for Spanish assistance, following the international call […]
Madrid is sunny most of the year, but in autumn the sky gets just the right amount of clouds and tones, that make it very beautiful to watch and photograph. Because of being on a small hill, and overlooking the West from the Debod Temple, is probably one of the best spots to see a […]
On our way to Palacio Real and Sabatini Gardens, before leaving the Debod Temple area, we give it the last glimpse with the stunning illumination.
Plaza España is a large square in the historic centre of the city. The sculpture highlighted on this photo, is dedicated to Miguel de Cervantes, and his main work Don Quixote. In Plaza España, is where two main avenues start, The Gran Via and Calle de la Princesa. Shortly before the construction of Gran Vía, […]
Halfway through the Paseo del Prado, we find the Fountain of Neptune, which is in Canovas del Castillo Plaza. In this square, we have many important landmarks of important touristic value, as two of the most important museums of art, as the Prado and the Thyssen Museums, two luxurious hotels with a long tradition, such […]
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