Spain: Madrid – Royal Palace

October 5, 2024
Madrid
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About the Royal Palace of Madrid
The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish royal family in the city of Madrid, although now used only for state ceremonies. The palace is huge it covers 135,000 m2 (1,450,000 sq ft) and has 3,418 rooms. It is the largest royal palace in Europe.

The palace is on the site of a former Muslim-era fortress, the imposing Alcázar of Madrid which provided both a safe for the royal treasure and a residence to the Moor monarchs in the late Middle Ages.

The royal alcázar remained on the site, expanding over the years. All was hunky dory until the first Bourbon King, Phillip V, came to the throne of Spain. Born in Versailles and second son to Louis Gran Dauphin of France, Philip reportedly spoke no Spanish when he was named as the next heir to the crown by a childless Charles II. With no hope of ever ruling France himself, he settled for Spain and, after a bitter war of succession that lost him Sicily, Sardinia, Gibraltar, Naples, and Milan to various European powers, he set about making himself comfortable in his new country. But the Alcázar was an ugly reminder of the previous regime’s aesthetic tastes and their legacy.

On Christmas 1734 a fire broke out in the Alcázar. Amazingly, the Royal Family was away, staying in the Prado palace. Mysteriously, some of the most precious artworks had previously been transferred to the Prado, and another 2,000 paintings by masters such as Tintoretto, Durer, and Da Vinci were saved. Sadly, some 500 paintings were consumed in the flames.

A new palace was ordered to be built on the site by Phillip V, in the style of Versailles. He also wanted it to be the biggest and the best. Ironically, Phillip died before he was able to move in and enjoy the labours of his mission.

We headed across the Plaza de la Armería, the massive square that is surrounded on three sides by the Palace buildings. It is a toasty place when the weather is warm – as it was today. There is a break in the buildings which allows you to stare across the parkland beyond the palace.

The Royal Palace

The Main Staircase
From the Plaza de la Armería we headed inside the main building. The first space of note is the main staircase. Facing the stairs is a statue of King Charles III in the garb of a Roman general. The are two sets of stairs to the first floor, the one on the right for the king and the one on the left for the queen.

The Hall of Columns
The next main we entered was the Hall of Columns. Its original use was as a ballroom and function room. It has always had an important role for civil ceremonies at the court, second only to the Throne Room. When we visited there were chairs set out for an upcoming event.

We passed through several more elaborately decorated rooms.

Gasparini’s Hall
The next major room was Gasparini’s Hall, which was the room where the King dressed and received private audiences, so it is not surprising that Charles III carefully decorated it, commissioning the designs for every element from his Chamber Painter, Mattia Gasparini, whom he had brought with him from Naples. The entire room was decorated in the late Baroque-Rococo and the result is an incredibly ornate space.

Gala Dining Room
One of the most impressive rooms in the Palace is the Gala Dining Room. It was used for formal banquets and state dinners hosted by the Spanish monarchs. The room is decorated in the neoclassical style with ornate plasterwork on the ceiling and frescoes depicting scenes from classical mythology. It is furnished with a large mahogany table, chairs, and side tables adorned with gold accents. The room is illuminated by three stunning chandeliers made of crystal and bronze. The walls are adorned with a collection of paintings, including works by Spanish artists such as Francisco de Goya and Vicente López. The room can accommodate up to 140 people, making it one of the largest dining rooms in any European royal palace.

The Throne Room
The final room we visited was the Throne Room. The history of the Throne Room began in the 18th century with the construction of the palace.

Throughout the years, it has been the setting for opulent events, including royal weddings and receptions. During the Napoleonic era, French forces occupied the palace, resulting in alterations to its appearance. Following the departure of the French forces, the room was restored to its original standard.

The Armoury
Leaving the main palace, we crossed the Plaza de la Armería to the Armoury. The building of the armoury was ordered by King Alfonso XII and completed after his death by the queen regent Maria Cristina of Habsburg following a fire in 1884, which destroyed the old building that housed it along with the stables.
The collection has been added to over time by various monarchs, so the collection extends from the 16th century through the 18th century.

It is a truly impressive collection, which includes treasures and weapons from the Ottoman Empire, most of which were collected from conflicts.

The Royal Kitchen
The last part of our tour was to the palace’s kitchen. The only way to see the kitchen is by joining a tour. Unfortunately, you cannot book a tour in English online – only in Spanish. So, I had booked a tour in Spanish. We were running late and missed our slot, but luckily, we managed to hop on another tour.

The kitchen occupies a large area on the first basement floor of the building. The current Palace kitchen is the result of the evolution and the passing of the years in which the advances that were being made in this field were incorporated. Stoves, ovens, plate warmers, dumbwaiters and one of the first refrigerators are good examples of this. The kitchen is divided into sections based on the task being carried out in each place by cooks and assistants.

Getting around Madrid

Airport Express Shuttle

Madrid has a transport service that connects the city centre with Barajas airport. The line runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year (with reduced timetables 24, 25 and 31 Dec and 1 Jan) with departures from Atocha station during daytime (6:00 – 23:30 h) and Cibeles station during daytime and nighttime (23:30 – 6:00 h). This service is of great benefit to people with night flights.

The bus, called “Exprés Aeropuerto”, takes about 30 minutes (to T1, five more minutes to T2 and five more to T4). It is 15-20 minutes by day and 35 minutes by night. The price of the ticket is 5 euros. You can pay on the bus itself in cash (maximum exchange rate: 20 euros) or with contactless technology (contactless) with a bank card or mobile phone.

Express Line 203 (Atocha-Aeropuerto) connects Madrid-Barajas Airport, central Madrid (Cibeles) and Atocha station. The head of the service line is at T4 and has stops at T2, T1, O’Donnell (at the confluence with Doctor Esquerdo), Plaza de Cibeles (the nerve centre of the night services of the EMT, the búhos (owls)) and Atocha Station (operative between 06:00 and 23:30 hours).

Metro
The Metro is the fastest, most efficient and reliable way of getting around Madrid. It is one of the largest metropolitan networks in Europe, connecting the entire city and a large part of the suburbs. Undoubtedly the most practical and economical option to move from the airport to the center and vice versa.

There are over 300 stations and twelve metro lines, three Metro ligero tram lines and a special Ramal line connecting Ópera and Principe Pío stations. Particularly useful for people visiting Madrid is Line 8 which goes from Nuevos Ministerios in the centre to Adolfo-Suárez Madrid Barajas Airport (20 mins to T4 and just 12 mins to T1, T2 and T3). It also goes to the capital’s trade fair centre Feria de Madrid.

The Metro runs from 6am to 1.30am, with trains departing every 2 minutes in the morning rush hour and every 15 minutes in the early hours (after midnight). At weekends, trains are less frequent during the day. Pitis station (Line 7) and stations between Puerta de Arganda and Arganda del Rey station have different opening hours to the rest of the network. When lines suffer closures due to engineering works, alternative bus services are usually availabe at no extra cost.

Taxis
Taxis in Madrid are white with a diagonal red band on their front door bearing the emblem of the city. They have a green light that is on when they are free. To hail a taxi all you need to do is raise your hand.

There are also several taxi ranks around the city, indicated by a blue sign with a white letter ‘T’. Taxis must be taken from the corresponding ranks at railway and bus stations and at the airport. Throughout the rest of the city, they can be easily stopped on the street.

Train
This Renfe service consists of 9 train lines running in the Region of Madrid. They all depart from or stop at Atocha train station. In some zones, you can use the same ticket as for the metro and buses.

Ride Hailing
Uber, Cabify and Bolt all operate in Madrid

Bus
Run by EMT (the Municipal Transport Company), Madrid’s efficient bus service is composed of 2000 vehicles and over 200 bus lines. Most of the city’s main thoroughfares have a bus and taxi lane to ensure the free flow of transport through the busier parts of the capital, although at times when there is heavy traffic, the Metro is usually a faster alternative. EMT recently introduced three zero emissions buses which are free to use: 001 Atocha Renfe-Moncloa, 002 Puerta de Toledo-Argüelles and C03 Puerta de Toledo-Argüelles.

Monday through Friday, buses run from 6am till 11.30pm (except the three zero emissions services whose timetables differ slightly). They generally pass every 4 to 15 minutes, although frequency depends on the line and the time of day. On weekends and public holidays, they run from 7am till 11pm and tend to be slightly less frequent.

Tourist Ticket
The Tourist Ticket (also known as the Tourist Travel Pass) can be used on all types of public transport in the Region of Madrid. Allowing you to take unlimited trips within your chosen timeframe, it is a practical and inexpensive way to get around Madrid.

Passes are valid for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7 days and for two zones (A and T).

Are you going to stay in the city centre and do you plan to get around there? Then Zone A is the right option for you since it covers these services:

Use of the Metro in zone A (City of Madrid) – including the 3€ airport supplement,
All blue EMT city buses (except the yellow Airport Express shuttle),
Renfe Cercanías commuter trains covering zones 0 and A,
Metro Ligero light rail train ML1.

The best time to visit Madrid

Madrid, Spain is situated within the Mediterranean climatological zone reffered as the Köppen climate classification of Csa. This climate class is characterized by a hot summer season, while geographic positioning of Madrid encourages unique weather patterns, resulting in a blend of climatological parameters.

The best time to visit Madrid

Considering the varied weather parameters, the best time to visit Madrid is generally during the Spring and Autumn months. During these periods, the temperatures are moderate, falling in the range of 18.2°C (64.8°F) to 22.2°C (72°F) in Spring and 13.5°C (56.3°F) to 26.4°C (79.5°F) in Autumn. Additionally, the city experiences relatively less rainfall and enjoys considerable daylight. During these periods, visitors can enjoy Madrid’s scenic beauty with a more pleasant, mild climate.

The worst time to visit Madrid

Visiting Madrid during summer months may not be suitable for all, especially those inept to withstand high temperatures. July, the hottest month, witnesses the maximum temperature exceeding 32°C (89.6°F). Furthermore, the UV index is also quite high during this time. Conversely, winter months, particularly December and January, can be cold, with very high chances of rainfall, lesser sunshine period, and shorter daylight hours.

Where to stay in Madrid

Centro

Located in Central Madrid is the obviously named Centro neighbourhood of Madrid. This district is in one of the most favorable locations in the city because it is surrounded on all sides by Madrid’s other best neighborhoods.

Sol, Lavapiés, and Salamanca are all conveniently right next door. If you’re trying to figure out where to stay for easy access to the rest of the city, it’s going to be Centro. Inside this neighborhood, you’ll find tons of affordable hostels and high-quality tapas bars to choose from.

The only problem with Centro is that there are actually more hostels than traditional hotels or Airbnbs. If you’re looking for a more private experience in Madrid, Centro might not be the best option for you.

Sol

Sol is a favorite neighbourhood among newbies to Madrid and it’s easy to understand why so many people love this area. Sol is considered downtown Madrid, which reaches from Puerta del Sol to the Royal Palace.

It’s one of the more centrally located neighbourhoods in Madrid, with Centro on one side and Malasana on the other. El Retiro Park is also only a few blocks away and well within walking distance.

You’ll find tons of different top tourist attractions such as Plaza Santa Ana, Puerta del Sol, and the Royal Palace. Most of the city’s tourist attractions that aren’t located in this neighborhood are still very close by.

Retiro

Most people think that a capital city like Madrid would be all hustle and bustle without any relief. However, many of the city’s neighborhoods are actually relatively calm, such as Retiro.

Located next to Madrid’s largest greenspace, the Retiro district is a popular place to stay in Madrid for families. The park alone is an endless source of fun and cheap outdoor activities.

The main drawback of staying in Retiro is that it’s a little bit of a hike from the central neighborhoods of Madrid and all of the attractions there.

Lavapiés

Lavapiés might be a terrific option if you’re traveling to Europe on a budget. While most of Madrid’s neighborhood will cost you a pretty penny, the accommodations and restaurants in Lavapiés are surprisingly affordable. This makes it a popular neighborhood with younger travelers especially.

Many solo travelers flock to this Madrid neighborhood for its premium nightlife scene. There is a long list of different bars to try around this area. Including unique lounges like the La Noche Boca Arriba piano bar and laidback watering holes like La Huelga de Lavapiés pub.

The other convenient thing about Lavapiés is that it’s sandwiched right between Centro and El Retiro. Making it simple to get basically anywhere else in the city on foot or with a trip to the metro station.

Download PDF tourist map here

1. Luxury – NH Collection Madrid Paseo del Prado

Located on Paseo del Prado Boulevard and offering wonderful views of the Neptune Fountains, NH Collection Madrid Paseo del Prado offers free WiFi, an on-site restaurant, and gym with city views.

Spacious, air-conditioned rooms feature a flat-screen TV and Nespresso coffee machine. Their Indian marble bathroom comes with a rain-effect shower, bathrobes and slippers.

Set in a 19th-century, Neo-Baroque palace, the hotel building still has some of its original features.

2. Mid Range – Hostal Main Street Madrid

Hostal Main Street Madrid is centrally located on Madrid’s Gran Via, just 1 minutes’ walk from Callao Metro Station.

It offers modern and bright, air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi, flat-screen TVs and parquet floors. All rooms are heated and soundproofed and come with a private bathroom with a hairdryer, shower and free toiletries.

3. Budget – Hostal Central Palace Madrid

Centrally located overlooking the Royal Palace and Sabatini Gardens in Madrid’s Plaza de Oriente, this elegant guest house offers 24-hour reception and free WiFi.

The spacious rooms at Hostal Central Palace Madrid feature wooden floors and classic décor. They all feature a private bathroom with shower and a hairdryer and toiletries. Some rooms offer views of the Royal Palace, Almudena Cathedral and the Sabatini Gardens.

There are many shops, bars and restaurants are within a short walk.