The Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest in Western Europe and one of the largest in the world. With over 135,000 square metres and 3,418 rooms, it has witnessed centuries of Spanish history. It is one of the few official seat of a Head of State that is open to the public. Almost 2 million visitors come every year to discover its rooms, works of art and treasures that are unique in the world.

If you’d like to get a sense of the city, a walk along the Gran Vía is a superb place to start. It’s Madrid’s entertainment, shopping and cultural nerve centre, a buzzing avenue often full of life until dawn. By day it throngs with shoppers stopping by the many malls, high-street stores like H&M and Zara and luxury boutiques. In the evenings there are couples arm-in-arm, stepping out to the cinema or a musical. And after dark the street pulses with many of Madrid’s top nightclubs. Sights to spot as you stroll include the vast Telefónica Building, built in 1928 and an early example of a skyscraper.

This grand Neoclassical triumphal arch was commissioned by King Charles III to celebrate the arrival of the monarchs to Spain's capital city. The monument was designed by Francesco Sabatini and built between 1769 and 1778. Nearly 30 meters high, the elegant granite entrance gate makes a grand impression. The facade is adorned with sculptures, capitals, and decorative reliefs. Just below the monument, at 54 Calle Alcalá, is Madrid's fanciest patisserie shop VAIT Pastelerías, which offers exquisite cakes, cookies, pastries, chocolate candies, and hot chocolate.

Located in a forest of skyscrapers, the Plaza de Espana is an expansive green area with a pool and a massive monument celebrating Spanish culture. This extensively used park is home to many children playing, couples strolling, and often a Spaniard taking in a good novel. The shade-providing trees on the south side of the plaza are particularly welcoming on a hot Meridian day, making this a great place to cool off on a bench under the trees and take in the fountains along with the famous monuments.

Another of Madrid’s “musts”, Plaza Mayor is a handsome renaissance square, laid out in the early-1600s and completely sequestered by historic three-storey-high residential buildings. There are nine entrances to the square and within the porticoes at the bottom of the buildings are several cafes. Order a coffee (overpriced but necessary because of the location!) at an outdoor table and watch Madrid in action for a few minutes. After that you could wander up to the 400-year-old bronze statue of King Philip III, who was in power at the height of the Spanish empire.

The Catedral de Almudena is Madrid’s grandest church, situated next to Madrid’s Palacio Real, the royal palace.La Almudena Cathedral Museum features numerous items that portray the history of the diocese of Madrid. The museum is made up of twelve halls that contain mosaics, Episcopal symbols and vestments.

60 -80 min required for Transportation for going from 1 place to another.