DK Travel : Madrid

Madrid’s three world-class art museums and two royal palaces alone would set the pulses racing, but there is more to this exciting and diverse capital than its tourist sights. The fashion boutiques of the Salamanca district showcase Europe’s top designers and are just the tip of a shopping iceberg, perfectly complementing the informality of the fascinating El Rastro market, while Madrid’s world-famous tapas bars vie for attention with gourmet restaurants and humble tabernas in a city which never sleeps. To simply watch the world go by, head for the supremely elegant Plaza Mayor.

Plaza de Murillo

The decorative centrepiece of this small square is the Apollo fountain, designed in 1781 by Ventura Rodríguez.
Plaza de Oriente

During his days as king of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte carved out this stirrup-shaped space from the jumble of buildings to the east of the Palacio Real providing the view of the palace enjoyed today. The square was once an important meeting place for state occasions; kings, queens and dictators all made public appearances on the palace balcony facing the plaza. The many statues of early kings which stand here were originally intended for the palace roofline, but proved too heavy. The equestrian statue of Felipe IV in the centre of the square is by Italian sculptor Pietro.
Plaza de Oriente

The focal point of this beautiful square is the bronze equestrian statue of Felipe IV, moved here from the Buen Retiro palace in 1842. The sculptor Pietro Tacca took advice from Galileo on the modelling of the rearing horse – the figure of the king was based on sketches by Velázquez. The statues of Spanish rulers were intended for the balustrade of the Palacio Real but they did not meet with royal approval.
Plaza de Santa Ana

The streets around this well-known square boast the greatest concentration of tapas bars in the city and it’s often still buzzing at 4am. A plaque outside Hotel Reina Victoria honours the great bullfighter, Manolete, a regular guest until he was killed in the ring in 1947.
Plaza de Tirso de Molina

Laid out in the 1840s, this square commemorates the creator of the infamous seducer, Don Juan.
Plaza de Toros

Bullfighting aficionados are divided over whether it is a sport or an art form. Corridas (fights) take place in the Las Ventas stadium (capacity 25,000), which opened in 1931 and even has its own chapel and hospital. Officially the season runs from March to December but the real action begins in May with the Fiesta de San Isidro.
Plaza del Callao

The look of this busy square reflects the sleek modernist architecture of 1930s America. Good examples are the curved Art Deco façade of the Carrión building (No. 3), the Palacio de la Prensa (No. 4) and the Palacio de la Música (Gran Vía 35), all now cinemas. Madrid is one of only a handful of cities in the world where you can still see hand-painted film posters.
Plaza del Dos de Mayo

This square in the heart of Malasaña commemorates the leaders of the insurrection of May 1808, Luis Daoíz and Pedro Velarde, who are buried in the Plaza de Lealtad. The site was chosen because, in those days, this was the artillery barracks of the Monteleón Palace, the main focus of resistance to the French. The brick arch now sheltering a sculpture of the two heroes was the entrance to the building. In the 1990s the square was taken over by under-age drinkers who gathered here at weekends for binges known as botellón . Though it has now been reclaimed by local residents, it is best avoided at night.
Plaza Dos de Mayo

On 2 May 1976 a young couple climbed on to the statue of Daoíz and Velarde and performed a striptease in front of a boisterous crowd of youngsters celebrating on the square. This was one of the first manifestations of the movida (scene), a period of hedonism, enthusiasm and creative energy
Plaza Mayor

The inspiration for the square was El Escorial’s courtyard (see El Escorial). But the plans of architect Juan de Herrera were only realized 30 years in 1619 later by Gómez de Mora (see Plaza Mayor).