Religious site
Madrid's cathedral, in Habsburg Madrid. Planned from 1879, its foundation stone was laid in 1883 and its crypt opened in 1911. The design draws on French Gothic, with elements from the cathedrals of Reims, Chartres and León. The cathedral is free (a €1 donation is requested); the cathedral museum costs €7.
Park
Historic gardens on land Philip II bought next to the old Alcázar, laid out from 1844 and spanning more than 20 hectares next to Madrid Río. They were declared an Artistic-Historic Monument in 1931. Entry is free. The Cuesta de la Vega gate opens 10:00–20:00 all year; the other gates close at 18:00 from October to March.
Food
Serving thick hot chocolate with churros since 1894 in the Pasadizo de San Ginés, just off Puerta del Sol. Its white marble tables and tiled counter appear in works by Galdós and Valle-Inclán, and Madrid City Council has named it a Historic Tourist Site. You can sit inside or on the terrace on the pedestrian passage.
Market
Opened more than 100 years ago as a wholesale food market, this historic building in central Madrid is now a gastronomic market with more than 20 stands serving tapas, Iberian ham, Galician seafood, rice dishes and cheeses from across Spain. It opens daily at 10:00 and stays open until midnight, or 01:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and holiday eves.
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.
Religious site
Founded in 1611 by Queen Margarita, wife of Philip III, as a convent for cloistered nuns. It is a key example of Habsburg-era architecture and keeps 17th- and 18th-century paintings and sculpture, plus a reliquary of some 700 pieces. Visits are guided only and cost €9; EU and Latin American visitors get in free on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. Closed on Mondays.
Attraction
Philip V ordered the palace after the old Alcázar burned in 1734. It was home to Spain's kings from Charles III to Alfonso XIII and remains the royal family's official residence. Visitors enter from the Almudena Cathedral esplanade (Plaza de la Armería). Tickets are €18. On 12 October, the national holiday, it opens only from 17:30.
Food
Founded in 1725 and recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest restaurant. It fills all four floors of an inn-like building, and its wood-fired oven, the same one since 1725, still roasts suckling pig and lamb in the Castilian style. It appears in works by Galdós and Hemingway. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Attraction
Madrid's opera house, inaugurated in 1850 near Puerta del Sol. Declared unsafe and closed in 1925, it reopened as a concert hall in 1966 and returned to opera in 1997 after seven years of works. The main hall seats up to 1,958. Self-guided audio tours in Spanish and English cost €10.