Madrid Things to Do

The building most representative of the architectural style popular during the Hapsburg reign has an attractive façade, main entrance, towers, and interior patios. It was built as the royal jailhouse in the 17th Century, and fa... more

Madrid's Italian church celebrates mass in Italian if a large enough group of native speakers requests it. The building has a perfectly preserved 12th-century mudéjar tower with lobe and horseshoe arches that was the minaret of... more

The so-called "M-30 mosque" (because it stands beside the motorway) is the largest in Europe. It's a beautiful white marble building that contains a college, ritual bath house, gymnasium, cafe and an Arabic restaurant called Za... more

One of Madrid's famous legends surrounds this Renaissance-style house with seven chimneys. Apparently, the woman who owned it had a relationship with King Felipe II. After she died, people claimed to see her ghost walking aroun... more

The baroque shrine's holding images of San Isidro and Santa María de la Cabeza make this nine-arched bridge over the River Manzanares the most attractive in Madrid. It's closed to traffic so you can enjoy walking over it in pea... more

A quiet, elegant square that's always peaceful and traffic-free because it's next door to the High Court, where there's a constant police presence. Its statues depict Fernando VI and his wife Bárbara de Braganza, the two people... more

The capital's tallest building was designed by Japanese architect Minoru Yamasaki, the creator of the Twin Towers in NYC. It's 157.25 meters tall, has 43 floors and a helipad on the roof. The entire building is controlled by an... more

Set in an isolated spot, this pristine piece of work stands out like an oasis in a desert. The Valleaceron Chapel is a small and private chapel, and almost looks like a piece of origami. It is a massive geometric structure, bui... more

The outstanding sights in this monastery are the choir area, the main cloister, the bronze and marble sepulcher, the paintings of the Bourbon royal family, and the chapel's frescoes. However, it is best known for the miracle th... more

The Mausoleum of Alfonso XII is in Parque del Buen Retiro and is in honor of the then King of Spain—Alphonso XII who reigned from 1875 to 1885. He brought peace, regulated finance and put various administrative services in plac... more