Attraction
A Roman aqueduct from the 1st century AD with 166 granite arches built without mortar, held up by the balance of its stones. The system runs about 15 km, one kilometre of it as arcade, and reaches 28 metres at its highest point in Plaza del Azoguejo.
Attraction
Built in three stages between 1910 and 1931 to open up the old centre, Gran Vía brought Spain's first skyscrapers. Walk it from Calle de Alcalá to Plaza de España to see landmarks such as the Metrópolis, the Telefónica Building, the Casino, the Capitol building and the Callao cinemas.
Attraction
Madrid's former slaughterhouse, a set of early-20th-century neo-Mudéjar pavilions on the Manzanares, now the City Council's centre for contemporary creation, with spaces for theatre, dance, design, literature and visual arts. Entry to the site is free, and its outdoor plazas are open daily 9:00–22:00.
Attraction
Opened in 1909 as the Spanish Post Office headquarters, designed by Antonio Palacios and Joaquín Otamendi, and Madrid's City Hall since 2007. The building is free to enter and houses the CentroCentro exhibition spaces, a tourist information point and the Landscape of Light interpretation centre. Exhibitions open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–20:00.
Attraction
A glass and cast-iron pavilion in El Retiro, built in 1887 as a greenhouse for an exhibition on the Philippines, then a Spanish colony, and modelled on London's Crystal Palace. The Reina Sofía Museum uses it for free temporary exhibitions, but it is closed for renovation until 2027.
Attraction
The fountain at the centre of this square has shown Cybele on a lion-drawn chariot since 1782; Charles III commissioned it and Ventura Rodríguez designed it. The square marks the start of the Paseo del Arte and is ringed by Buenavista Palace, Linares Palace (Casa de América), Cibeles Palace and the Bank of Spain.
Attraction
The square at the heart of Malasaña commemorates the 2 May 1808 uprising against Napoleon's occupation, led by captains Luis Daoíz and Pedro Velarde of the Monteleón artillery barracks. It keeps an arch of the old barracks and a monument to the two officers.
Attraction
Madrid's grand central square, in the heart of Habsburg Madrid, the oldest part of the city. Philip II planned it after moving the court to Madrid in 1561, and it was built under Philip III to a design by Juan Gómez de Mora. Today it has café terraces and long-established shops, and it hosts the city's Christmas market in December.
Attraction
A neoclassical granite gate by Francesco Sabatini, erected in 1778 for Charles III as the main entrance to the city. It stands in Plaza de la Independencia beside El Retiro, has five arches rather than three, and each of its faces is decorated differently.
Attraction
One of Madrid's best-known squares and the starting point of Spain's radial roads: a slab in front of the Casa de Correos marks Kilometre 0. The clock on that building strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, when people across Spain eat 12 grapes. The statue of the bear and the strawberry tree, the city's symbol, is a classic meeting point.
Attraction
A 2nd-century BC Egyptian temple that Egypt gave to Madrid after the Aswan Dam threatened it; rebuilt stone by stone near Plaza de España, it opened in 1972. Entry is free but limited to 30 people at a time and 30-minute visits, so booking ahead online is recommended. Closed on Mondays.