When it comes to things to see in Madrid the list can be endless. However, some of the city’s tourist attractions visitors simply have no right to skip no matter how short their stay in the capital is. Among these top Madrid points of interest is the iconic Puerta de Alcalá (1769-1778), built by Francisco Sabatini in the times of Charles III. It is one of the five royal gates that was giving access to the city before.
In addition, it is highly recommended to see such landmarks as Almudena Cathedral and the Royal Palace of Madrid or Palace of the East, both located in El Madrid de los Austrias. Check out as well Cibeles statue, the emblematic Plaza Mayor, temple of Debod (one of the only four Pharaonic temples outside Egypt) and the Statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree – symbol par excellence of Madrid. The statue stands in the east side of the Puerta del Sol, where a small stone slab is found, making the geographical centre of Spain. The marker sets Zero Kilometre point, the point from which distances are measured in the country. Thousands of citizens meet the New Year here. It is a sort of Spanish Times Square.
Other Madrid attractions are El Retiro Park, one of the largest parks of the city, and Cuesta de Moyano Book Market, a hill studded with kiosks selling books. The market is a must-see place for lovers of literature.
In case you have time for more places to visit in Madrid, without hesitation invest it in its magnificent museums. Among them are such pearls as Queen Sofia Arts Center, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, National Archaeological Museum, hosting Lady of Elche - an Iberian artefact from the 4th century BC -, and of course, Prado Museum, one of the most important art galleries in the world. It exhibits 27,000 works dating back to XVI-XVIII centuries performed by famous European artists such as Bosch, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Rubens, Velazquez and Goya. All this in one city! Isn’t it impressive?