Museum
Prado Museum
Madrid, Spain
One of the world's great art museums, with Velazquez, Goya and El Greco at the centre of its Spanish collectio...
Square · Spain · Community of Madrid
Plaza Mayor, Madrid
A grand enclosed seventeenth-century square surrounded by arcades, cafes and painted facades.
Free to enter about 45 min
For storytellers
Why Plaza Mayor, Madrid matters
Step through one of the archways and you enter a perfectly enclosed rectangle of red brick and painted balconies. The Plaza Mayor has been a stage for markets, bullfights and royal celebrations over the centuries. Today it is the place for a coffee or a calamari sandwich from one of the bars in the side streets around it. It is especially atmospheric early in the morning.
Talking points
- The square is enclosed by arcaded buildings with nine entrances.
- Locals often eat a bocadillo de calamares in the streets nearby.
- On weekends before Christmas the square hosts a traditional market.
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Within about 40 km, closest first.