🇪🇸 MADRID ~ Capital of Spain – Hustle bustle & an always awake city! : SPAIN

Madrid… a bustling city! The vibe reminds me of a huge european city that has so much to give

I’ve been here back in 2005 so it was a while back and I don’t really remember exactly the details of the city so I was looking forward to exploring the city as if I’ve never been here before

Once I got to Madrid Principe Pio train station, I went into the bustling station and thought OK! I have to find a place to rest & recoup and just relax with a cup of coffee and get my head screwed on properly to battle madrid and the amount of people here…

Not that its a bad thing, just that the past 10 days I’ve been in much smaller towns and cities and I was still in that vibe

I arrived at the train station Principe Pio which was a little further out of town so I found a really cool place called “social hub” and it was like a working area so many people, english speaking as well, had their laptops and we’re working and also enjoying the onsite cafe

I felt really comfortable here and I stayed for a few hours to update my blog and to chill and relax and get myself into the vibe of a major city! I booked my next couple of days and organised myself

The capital of Spain and sort of smack bang in the middle of the country with 3.4 million people living their lives here

I really ended up loving and appreciating this big city which had a lot to offer from history to cafes and restaurants and shopping

Accomodation Reviews:

I went back and forth to Madrid twice and decided to stay in 2 different hotels to experience new areas and try out different hotels

#1 – HOTEL RIESCO (15th-17th Mar) – Puerta Del Sol

🇪🇸 REVIEW ~ “Hostal Riesco” – MADRID : SPAIN

#2 – HOTEL MIAU (20th-22nd Mar) – Bohemian Quarter

🇪🇸 REVIEW ~ “Hotel Miau” : MADRID – SPAIN

Jumping on a bus to get an overview and layout of the city, I learnt some random things

They moved the motor way underground and created a huge garden and park complex for the people – they did this between 2003-2007

THE ROYAL PALACE

You won’t believe this but I was told this whole building is basically empty and only used for royal occasions or some other high level money wasting state events

It’s the residence of the “royal” Spanish family (they don’t live there though, they live on the outskirts of the city in another Palace of theirs, Palacio de la Zarzuela) – so this palace is open to there public to visit

3418 ROOMS!!! – this palace is one of the largest in Western Europe and one of the largest in the world!

There are 8 floors but I’m sure there are more if not some sort of tunnel systems underground linking the nearby Cathedral – these type of buildings always seem to have an escape route or system of some sort for those of “importance” to escape if ever needed

Taken from the top of Hotel Riu Plaza Espana

The exterior facade is made of white stone and granite from the Sierra de Guadarrama and has a stately French-Italian Baroque style that was popular in the 18th c.

THE SUPREME COURT

The Supreme Court is the judicial body that is at the top of the Spanish judiciary established in 1812 for everything related to Justice, its jurisdiction extends to the entire national territory and is the highest body in all jurisdictional orders: civil, criminal, contentious-administrative, social and military

The beautiful extravagant Supreme Court building on the outskirts of the city centre

THE MARIA GUERRERO THEATRE

The María Guerrero Theater is a public theater belonging to the Ministry of Culture of Spain, and within it to the National Institute of Performing Arts and Music

The facade is Neoclassical with capacity of 622 people

HUMILIATION OF OUR LADY OF SOLITUDE

The little chapel is easy to miss! It’s one of the oldest buildings in the area

A little shrine in a busy street dedicated to the Lady of Solitude

PLAZA DEL RAY

This cute plaza is located on one side of the first section of Gran Via in the Chueca Neighbourhood

**The house of the Seven Chimneys** existing before 1570 but its not sure who exactly has built it as there are gaps in timeline – the work has been attributed to Juan Bautista de Toledo and Antonio Sillero though, and expanded by Juan de Herrera

Madrid is unbelievable, as soon as the chairs and tables were set up, they all got full in a matter of 15mins in this tiny plaza

Totally ordered this coffee in spanish and understood the questions he asked me! (Its the little things!)

Comfortably sitting here having my coffee then here this “beep!” And “bang!!” And the 2 people screaming at each other on the streets… ahhhh Madrid lol

A bit out of the main city centre its def more chilled here than where my hotel is! I’ve noticed every area is so different

The House of the 7 chimneys is an attraction at this square

Declared an “historic Artistic Monument” – The House of the Seven chimneys – a building with much history and at one stage was the Bank of Castilla

INSTITUTE OF CERVANTES

Wow! What a building!!

Grand, strong, masculine and impressive!

And this is the headquarters of the non for profit institute created by the Spanish Government!!! (How these non for profit corporations get these beautiful buildings I will never understand!!)Gan

This organisation is the largest in the world promoting the study and the teaching of Spanish language and culture

The front of the building has these huge neoclassical figures and massive columns

Used to be the former head office of the Central Bank

Check out the size of the building and the front entrance! It’s so huge and grand – photos don’t do it justice!

The side of the building isn’t as detailed but still has huge columns and very grand

The details of the figures on top of the columns

GRAN VIA

Known as the Spanish Broadway is one of Madrids important shopping areas with large number of huge buildings that are hotels or theatres

This was my favourite area to walk through, it was SO crowded but it had such a good buzz and feeling to it with everyone enjoying the buildings and taking photos

Government Area of Economy and Finance (Madrid City Council)

A beautiful Catholic Baroque style temple which used to be a convent

The inside was so opulent and huge and rich with works of art

There are many different styles of architecture on this street – Vienna succession / Plateresque / Neo-Mudejar / Art deco and others

CHUECA

This neighbourhood is known as Madrids gay area – rainbow flags flying around on balconies and vibrant coloured buildings and an easy going relaxed vibe

cafes with music and heaps of noise and laughter it’s a nice area and I enjoyed exploring it!

The location of Chueca Neighbourhood – north east of the city centre

**Plaza De Checua** – so many cool and quaint bars and pubs in this square and it was full to the brim of people enjoying a drink in the sun

Even thrifting is so cool and regal here! 🤣

The fashion is very forward here in Madrid and window shopping is a lot of fun

Not sure what this is but it’s interesting to say the least!

More quirky and colourful designs displayed in the shop windows

The back streets of Madrid are easy and fun to walk around, many interesting buildings to see and explore and nearly a cafe at each corner!

PALAZZO LONGORIA

Randomly stumbled upon this absolutely amazing Palace while walking through the Chueca Neighbourhood

This unique building was built as a family home by investor Javier Gonzalez Longoria and also used as the headquarters for his bank

It’s a beautiful example of a modernist (or Art Nouveau) building of Madrid with intricate detailings all over the outside

Every angle you see beautiful intricate details wrapped around the outside

The Art Nouveau movement is all about the curved lines, inspired by nature and medieval styles of architecture and ornamentation – this building is a perfect example of that!

Was in awe for a good 20mins exploring every angle of this piece of art

Located in Chueca Neighbourhood – not to be missed!

Was meant to be a GROUP tour but I’ll let my Facebook post explain…

🇪🇸 MADRID ~ so, cycling… got to Madrid again and got SO excited cos I kept seeing multiple groups of good looking people riding by on these cute white vintage bikes laughing their heads off looking around at the scenery, giggling, one was whistling and they were riding on the roads like pro’s and I’m like DONE! SOLD! Take my money! What a great idea! I’m gonna book this! and I couldn’t wait to meet HEAPS and heaps of people who will most likely speak English and I can have some conversations! 🥳

So, I go online and book a group “bohemian night bike tour” sounds good! 🤗 there’s gotta be at least 10 or 15 people doing this ride if not more, there’s soooooo many people in Madrid!

….Guess how many people I met on the tour?

NONE!!!! I was the only one that booked 🤦🏽‍♀️

There’s like, 7million people plus 1000s of tourists in Madrid and every street, restaurant, pub and cafe is packed you cant breathe let alone walk and Im the only one on this bike tour!!? Come on! 😳🤣🤣

Anyways, here’s a picture of my bike and all my new friends… 😶🙄

PALACE OF SANTA BARBARA

Stumbled upon this palace which ended up being choc a block full of hand made market stalls, located between the districts of Chueca and Salesas

First heard music and loud chatting and laughter and peak past the black gate and see a whole bunch of people sitting in the courtyard around a bar drinking and laughing and just enjoying the weather

The courtyard from the top of the Palace – people just chilling

Hand made products set up inside the Palace

Some really unique pieces all different type of artists

The place was full of people looking through colourful racks of clothing

The building itself is so beautiful and used for events and parties

Madrid is one of the highest capitals of Europe! It sits at 667m above sea level

Interesting, colourful and cool buildings lined busy streets

Ancient and modern work together in some areas

The etymology of Madrid’s name according to legend, the original name of the city was ‘Ursaria’, a reference to the large number of bears that once inhabited the region

**The Cathedral of the Redeemer** is a Protestant (Anglican) church and It is the principal church of the Reformed Episcopal Church of Spain

Located in the Justicia neighbourhood

The oldest functioning Protestant church in Spain

Madrid is the 2nd largest capital in Europe with $3.2m people! (1st is Berlin with $3.6m)

Antique markets in front of Parish of San Ildefonso

Fun and colourful markets all over the place on the weekend

Drinking and eating in the Piaza of San Ildefonso

All happening in the Justicia neighbourhood

Walking around Madrid, I left safe and easy in every area that I wandered around (I wandered far and wide!)

Everywhere there are motor bikes and mopeds and people cycling on bikes, no helmets! Love it! ♥️

The many shops around the neighbourhoods – there are many boutiques and one off shops with unique products

Convent and College of Barefoot Mercedarias of Don Juan de Alarcón

I found a quiet street!!!? You just don’t see this very often at all in Madrid! Once I got over the shock, I stood and enjoyed the silence for a while before continuing on

Church of Saint Anthony of the German

FRESCOES! You should see the inside of this building!!!

This Baroque church is so worth the €5 entrance fee to see the frescos all over the walls on the inside

The outside doesn’t really look like much but once you step inside….

BANG!!!! The frescoes all over the walls and ceilings are awesome!!!

These paintings are the works of a few different artists painted in different stages – Luca Giordano / Juan Carreno de Miranda / Francisco Rizi

This I accidentally stumbled on my ramblings through the streets and Im so glad I poked my head in to see what was going on inside! I WAS IN AWE…

Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Buena Dicha

A Catholic Temple they say was built in the beginning of the 20th C.

The inside is small yet beautiful and intricate with a nice r loaded feel to it

The facade is really interesting with a mix of neo-gothic Neo-Mudejar and neo-nasrid styles which give it a unique looking exterior which caught my attention

With intricate detailings on the balconies

Plaza de las Comendadoras

A very peaceful and quaint plaza surrounded by old and colourful buildings

The convent on the left founded in 1650s which the Plaza gets its name from

The was the China town area with Asian restaurants all.over

Asian supermarkets are around this area and you could smell the awesome Asian food!

Teatro Albéniz

Located in the Centro district this theatre was opened in 1940 initially for opera and ballet and seats a capacity of 1000 people

The building also has a hotel – what really caught my eye were the sculptures across the windows at the front

Basílica Pontificia de San Miguel

This Catholic church is created in Baroque style, huge double doors that lead into a beautiful colourful interior…

An interesting building with a unique facade and roof decoration

The interior has derailed paintings on the ceiling and the altar with the main colour scheme being gold and cream

The sculpture detailings are simple on the facade of this churxh

From around 7pm the church doors all around Spain open for the locals to attend mass and this is when Insjeak.in to get a look at the interior

PLAZA DE ESPANA

What an amazing plaza! It’s huge with the main centrepiece being the monument

**The Cervantes Monument** – dedicated to the writer Miguel de Cervantes

The bronze sculptures at the front are Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, fictional characters in a novel by the writer

The monument is really detailed and should be viewed from every angle to see the figures clearly

Why a HUGE monument like this is dedicated to a writer I’m not too sure but I must admit it really is beautiful

2 of the tallest buildings are surrounding this plaza

The Madrid Tower and the Spain Building – I had a couple of drinks and tapas on the top floor of this building and it has awesome views across Madrid

They had realllly gooood cocktails! Expensive but very strong and with these views… Who wouldn’t stay a few hours!?

If you don’t like heights this walkway is not for you! It’s a clear bottomed walkway

The views from my table were fantastic! Looking right over the edge

The church Parish of Saint Teresa and Saint Joseph and residences in Plaza De Espana

The General Headquarters of the Air and Space Force, they get a bloody huge PALACE to hang out in!? 😳🤔 Give them the ugly modern buildings they build these days lol… Why so big a space? Why can’t we enjoy and see the palace as well?? All military red zones so no one can enter 🤷🏻‍♀️ so many questions from my side…

Military right smack bang centre of the city with its own metro atop

PUERTA DEL SOL

The New Years Eve party is held here in this square

What gets me (and what I love!) With the architecture of these old world buildings is where there these sculpted strong masculine bodies which seem to be holding up the building

**Palace of the Senate** – home of the Senate of Spain built in 16th C and was the Saint Augustine Order school

View from the viewpoint and Egyptian temple area

**Temple of Debod** – an ancient Nubian temple was dismantled and rebuilt in the centre of Madrid (for who knows what reason!)

It’s said that this temple was built 15km south of Aswan in Nubia – apparently the Egyptians then donated this Temple to Spain in 1968 (!?)

What I love about Madrid (and Spain in general) is that there are always people out and about drinking and eating and chatting loudly without a care in the world! 😀💗

PLAZA MAYOR

This plaza is the main public square in the heart of Madrid, once the centre of old Madrid and dates back to 15th C. (“They” say) and was used as the main market of the town selling goods and food etc

The design was so similar to the square in Salamanca

The Casa de la Panaderia – municipal and cultural building – used to be the citys main bakery

Mainly residential buildings (& Airbnb) surround the square and 3 floors high (used to be 5 levels but fire burnt down the old buildings that once stood here)

Madrid is just as beautiful at night time when walking around the streets and seeing the beautiful.buildings all lit up with colourful lights

Some of the street names are cute little artworks themselves!

A colourful fountain looks amazing and alive!

What a city! Madrid, you were so so extremely interesting and beautiful and the 2nd time around I really appreciated what you have to offer more so than my 1st time

I recommend visiting Madrid when in Spain, at least 3 days to get a good feel of this city and if you want to do any day trips or visits to museums and palaces, to stay a couple extra days