Things to Do in Madrid

Madrid's Royal Palace (also known as the Palacio Real or Palacio de Oriente) is a beautiful baroque structure with some 3,000 rooms, making it one of Europe's largest castles. Although the royal family no longer lives here, the Palacio Real still serves as the king and queen's official residence, a venue for state ceremonies, and a place for tourists to get a peek into the royal history of Spain.

Constructed in honor of its namesake, the much-celebrated Valencian Impressionist artist Joaquin Sorolla, the Sorolla Museum is a fascinating tribute to the artist's life and works, displaying personal artifacts, awards, written memoirs and, of course, many of his most beloved artworks. Housed in the 20th-century mansion on Paseo del General Martínez Campos where the artist lived and worked from 1912 until his untimely death in 1923, the Sorolla house was bequeathed to the public by his widow and reopened as a museum several years later.

The museum serves not only as a gallery of his finest works, but a memorial to the artist himself "“ many rooms have been preserved as they were left, with the original decor and personal effects still in place. Sorolla's pipes and paintbrushes can still be seen scattered around the studio, along with over 300 canvasses and thousands of rough drawings. Even the building, along with its series of splendid landscaped gardens, is a masterwork of its former owner, providing an even greater insight into his artistic vision and creative evolution. The house itself, designed by architect Enrique María de Repulles y Vargas in a classic Andalusian style, was dreamed up by Sorolla himself, who purchased the plot of land with the aim of creating the perfect home and studio. The exquisite mansion offers an ideal backdrop to his beautifully lit portraits and landscape paintings, making it one of Madrid's most serene art museums.

A striking monument to those who lost their lives during the Spanish Civil War, the Valley of the Fallen, or Valle de Los Caidos, is a poignant dedication to the 40,000 victims whose remains lie buried beneath. The immense structure features a basilica and tomb complex set in a mountain valley north of El Escorial and is topped by an enormous 500-foot-tall stone memorial cross – allegedly the tallest monument of its kind in the world and visible for miles around.

The impressive site is an admirable achievement, but one not without controversy. In fact, many dispute the nature of a monument that only commemorates two names – the Nationalist dictator General Francisco Franco who commissioned the monument and José Antonio Primo de Rivera, founder of the Fascist Falange – believing the monument to be a one-sided tribute to the victorious, rather than a sign of post-civil war reconciliation. Also under contention is the fact that the monument, erected in 1959, was built by forced labor under the dictatorship of General Franco, taking thousands of political prisoners over 18 years to complete and costing many their lives in the process. Despite the controversy though, the memorial remains one of the country’s most dramatic cenotaphs and walking through the underground crypt is a harrowing reminder of the bloody battle.

One of the many formal gardens encircling Madrid’s magnificent Royal Oriente Palace, the Sabatini Gardens, or Les Jardines de Sabatini, lie on the northern border of the palace grounds. Named in honor of the renowned 18th-century Italian architect, Francesco Sabatini, who designed the former royal stables that once stood on the plot, the gardens were opened to the public in 1978 by King Juan Carlos I and drew wide acclaim for their innovative Neoclassic style. Set around a monumental pond and fountain, the Sabatini Gardens feature a maze of sculpted hedges fashioned into elaborate geometrical patterns that look even more impressive from overhead.

The idyllic gardens are a popular spot for locals and tourists to relax, with plenty of shaded picnic spots tucked beneath the many pine and cypress trees. One of the most notable features are the fantastic views of the palace, accessed by a grand stone staircase at the foot of the garden. From across the central pond, the rear of palace is a picture of perfect symmetry, dramatically framed by trees and casting shimmering reflections on the water.

One of the most atmospheric times to visit is during the summer Los Veranos de la Villa festival, when the Sabatini Gardens and the Casa de Campo park host a series of open-air music concerts, theater, cinema showings and Flamenco performances.

One of Madrid’s leading art museums and most famous artistic training schools, the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Art, or the Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes San Fernando, features an impressive collection of 15th -20th century European art. Founded in 1752, the museum is perhaps most famous for its many Goya paintings – the Spanish master was the institution’s painting director for many years – and works include his ‘Self-portrait in front of the Easel’.

Over 1500 paintings and 570 sculptures make up the museum’s main collection, with a predominant focus on Spanish, Flemish and Italian artists. Notable artists include Leandro Bassano, Vincent Lopez, José Ribera, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Joaquín Sorolla, Ignacio Zuloaga, Velázquez and Haes, with sculptures by Mariano Benlliure, Picasso and Pablo Gargallo, to name a few. Further exhibits showcase around 15,000 drawings and prints, along with displays of silverware, jewelry and porcelain.

The museum building itself is also worth a second look – a grand baroque residence designed in the 17th-century by José Benito de Churriguera and retaining many of its rich original interiors.

All too often overlooked in favor of the nearby Royal Palace gardens, the Royal Botanic Garden, or Real Jardín Botánico, is an exquisite pocket of greenery, showcasing over 5,000 different plant species. Situated next door to the Prado museum, the Botanic Garden was designed in 1755 by architects Francisco Sabatini and Juan de Villanueva under commission from Ferdinand VI, and makes a tranquil picnic spot for those visiting the museum.

Stretching over 20 acres, the garden manages to cram an impressive variety of trees, plants and flowers within its walls, featuring native plant varieties that span 5 continents. As you stroll through the three terraced gardens, keep an eye out for pomegranate trees, South African irises, Japanese raisin trees, Chinese peonies and a wide selection of Bonsais. Those intrigued in learning more about the world’s varied plant life will find plenty to look at in the three exhibition greenhouses, mimicking tropical, humid and desert climates, as well as the exhibit of medicinal plants and herbs.

It’s not just the plants that deserve a mention – the beautifully landscaped garden boasts a number of design features. Highlights include the ornate Puerta de Murillo and the Puerta del Rey gates; the central Villanueva Pavilion; and the Classical Romantic Garden, which features a duck pond and scores of colorful wild roses.