It was a 9-day trip with 3 people in the spring of 2024. It is worth to travel around Madrid in spring, because in this time the weather can be sunny, but not too warm but the North side of the Guadarrama Mountains (Ávila and Segovia) can be cold. We traveled by air plane to Madrid and we also rented a car there for 4 days. The accommodations were in Madrid (5 nights), in Aranjuez (1 night), in Ávila (1 night) and in Segovia (1 night). On this trip we got to know the spanish capital city, Madrid, and the major cities and towns around it.
25.04.2024 – Arrive to Madrid
The trip starts at Zurich Airport in the morning and at noon you arrive at Madrid-Bajaras Airport. (Tip: you should get the airport bus, althought it is a bit more expensive than the metro, and you do not have to stand in the line in front of a ticket machine.) I recommend you to stay in the Chamberi District, which is a relatively central and youthful location, but it is also calm and not so expensive. In the evening go inside the new Royal Collection museum (Mansilla+Tunon Architects), which is next to the Royal Palace and the Cathedral.
26.04.2024 – Madrid /// Revitalisations and Reconstructions
On this day start in the Southern districts of Madrid. The Madrid Rio area is a beautiful start of the day. It is a big revitalisation project along the River Manzanares. Go a little bit further and you find a cultural centre in some old industrial halls, it is the Matadero District. Another cultural and leisure project in a former industrial zone is the Daoiz y Velarde Cultural Center near Pacifico metro station. Also interesting in this theme is the project of Mansilla+Tunon Architects in a former brewery: the Madrid Documentation Centre and the regional library. (Tip: the building is relatively closed for the public, but there are some exhibition spaces, which are open.) You can also take a walk around the and in the busy Atocha Station (extended by Rafael Moneo) and not so far you can reach the Caixa Forum by Herzog+de Meuron Architects, where the book shop and the exibition spaces are open for the public, or you can also drink a cup of coffee on the top of the building. As a reconstruction the Lavapiés Pious Schools Cultural Center (Linazasoro+Sanchez Architects) is also interesting, which is in a former church. I recommend you also to take a look at the conominium by F. J. Sáenz de Oíza and J. Sáenz Guerra, which is perhaps one of the longest and biggest buildings in Madrid. (Tip: the area is bit weird, so be careful.)
27.04.2024 – Madrid /// Around Salamanca and the Gran Via
On this day you can follow the architecture tour by the Torres Blancas Building by F. J. Sáenz de Oíza: it is one of the most imortant spanish buildings from the 1960’s. Go futher to the elegant Salamanca District, where you can find maybe one of the best apartment buildings in Madrid by J. A. Coderch. Not so far from the Coderch’s building, on the other side of the Paseo del Prado, you find the Bankinter by Rafael Moneo. A few corners away there is a nice concrete apartment house by J. Carvajal Ferrer. Around the Plaza de Barcelo you can take a look on the Barecelo Theater from the 1930’s and new market hall and sport centre by Mansilla+Tunon Architects. In the evening continue the walk along the Gran Via, where you can find some old high buildings. (Tip: maybe one of the most eyecatching place on the Gran Via is the Plaza de Callao.)
28.04.2024 – Madrid /// The Old town and The Prado
Take a walk in the old city of Madrid: Teatro Real, Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, Plaza de Santa Ana, Congreso de los Diputados, Paseo del Prado. In the afternoon go inside the Prado Museum, which is one of the most famous museums of the world and the museum was extended by Rafael Moneo. (Tip: buy a ticket one-two days earlier online and plan enought time – minimum 3 hours.)
29.04.2024 – Madrid /// Parks and Arts
Nothing is better than start the day in the Retiro Park: the big lake, the Crystal Palace and the Rose garden are the highlights of the park. The Botanical Garden is also beautiful, but you have to pay a few Euros for it. (Tip: just next to the botanical garden there is an open air book market – I found a nice architecture book there with a good price). After the parks go the Thyssen-Bornemissza Museum, which is reconstructed by Rafael Moneo. (Tip: on specific days you can visit the big museums of Madrid free. Just check the opening hours on the home pages of the museums. I had to stand in a long line because these days are very popular also for the tourists…). I recommend you to go the Campo del Moro park, from where you can see the Royal Palace from another perspective. Go further to the Temple of Deboh, an ancient egyptian temple, which was rebuilt on a nice park, from where you can see the Royal Palace and the old town of Madrid from above. On the way to the Reina Sofia Museum you go across the Plaza d’Espagna, which is a popular place in Madrid. In the Reina Sofia Museum (extended by Jean Nouvel) Picasso’s Guernica painting is waiting for you and there are many informations about the archiceture in Madrid and many modells about famous buildings.
30.04.2024 – Around Madrid
I recommend you to rent a car in or around the airport and do not drive in Madrid, because it can be dangerous for a tourist. So take a taxi and go to the airport. Rent a car and go to the pleasant town of Alcala de Henares, where Cervantes was born: the main square, the old university, the birth place of Cervantes and the Calle Mayor are the most visited places in this town. Drive further to the old village of Chinchon: the Plaza Mayor is very authentic. (Tip: in the Restaurante La Balconada on the main squre you can have a very good lunch or dinner). The last destination on this day is the Royal Palace in Aranjuez with its beautiful facade and garden. (Tip: the insides of the spanish palaces almost always disapoint me – because of the exuberant Rococo style interieur…)
01.05.2024 – Castilla-La Mancha
Drive to Consuegra, where you can find maybe one of the most spanish landscapes with the “wind mills of Don Quijote”. (Tip: you can park with the car also up on the hill next to the wind mills – around the wind mills not all of the pathways are built well.) Go the north to the former spanish capital city, to Toledo. You can find in this amasing town a lot of historical monuments. (I recommend you to buy the ticket to the gothic cathedral and there is a Toledo Monumental Ticket, which is very worth to buy. You have access to the Sinagoga de Santa María La Blanca, the Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes, the Real Colegio Doncellas Nobles, Iglesia de los Jesuitas (also with panoramic view to the town) and the Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz.) On the evening you reach Ávila.
02.05.2024 – Castilla y León
Start the day with a walk on the famous fortification walls of Ávila. The Plaza Mayor and the cathedral are also worth to see. (Tip: on the West side of the town there is a place, from where you can see the whole town with the fortification walls: Cuatro Postes Lookout) Drive further to Coca, which is famous of its mudejar style castle. The last stop before Segovia is the Royal Palace of La Granja of San Ildefonso and its beautiful French garden. (Tip: I think, that the inside is not worth to visit.) In the evening you reach Segovia. Take a walk on the Plaza Mayor and go to the Roman aquaduct, which is nowadays a meeting point of the people in Segovia.
03.05.2024 – Around Madrid
In the morning you can visit the gothic cathedral of Segovia and also the famous Alcazar (castle). Go further to the Valle the los Caidos and you can find the biggest memorial of the spanish civil war. The chapel is built in the mountain and under the big cross there is a domed space of the chapel. the next destination is the Royal Monestery and Palace of El Escorial. The garden, the Habsburg and Bourbon Palace and the Basilica are the highlights of the huge building.
And here is the map:
ADAM BALOG 