Monuments in the Capital City
A lot of what I did in Madrid was wander. I had a couple of places in mind to see each day, and I would wander around and see the city as I made my way there. This way, I stumbled upon a lot of building, monuments and parks that I might not have found otherwise. This post is going to be primarily pictures, because I saw so many places that I felt were worth sharing even though I might not know a lot of background info.
One of the first things I did was walk down Gran Via, a major street in Madrid that was full of great buildings. I got to see hotels, casinos, and who knows what else that are all housed in old buildings. I'm a nerd for old buildings; I love the detailed architecture that is so prominent in Spain. I finally came upon the Plaza de Cibeles where the city hall stands. The Cibeles fountain is in the center of the plaza, but it was difficult taking pictures of it. A little further down Gran Via, is the Puerta de Alcala. It was the gate of the former city walls in the 1700s.
I also got to see an Egyptian temple that was built in 200 BC. The Temple of Debod was actually given to Spain by the Egyptian state in the 60s as a thank you for helping them save temples in Egypt. It doesn't look like much, but it's incredible to think about how old it is. It is right next to a beautiful park as well. Madrid has done a great job at creating and maintaining parks and gardens that allow you to forget you're in a huge city.
One of the first things I did was walk down Gran Via, a major street in Madrid that was full of great buildings. I got to see hotels, casinos, and who knows what else that are all housed in old buildings. I'm a nerd for old buildings; I love the detailed architecture that is so prominent in Spain. I finally came upon the Plaza de Cibeles where the city hall stands. The Cibeles fountain is in the center of the plaza, but it was difficult taking pictures of it. A little further down Gran Via, is the Puerta de Alcala. It was the gate of the former city walls in the 1700s.
I also got to see an Egyptian temple that was built in 200 BC. The Temple of Debod was actually given to Spain by the Egyptian state in the 60s as a thank you for helping them save temples in Egypt. It doesn't look like much, but it's incredible to think about how old it is. It is right next to a beautiful park as well. Madrid has done a great job at creating and maintaining parks and gardens that allow you to forget you're in a huge city.
And I can't forget about The Bear and the Strawberry Tree. This sculpture represents the coat of arms of Madrid.
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