Puerta del Sol has 10 streets that come out like a star, in all directions, and Arenal streets takes us from here to Opera and Oriente square. It is a very busy pedestrian street, with many shops and beautiful buildings. Why is it call ‘Arenal’ street? Arenal means ‘Sandy area’, Read more…
Origin of the name ‘Puerta del Sol’ In Spanish, La Puerta del Sol means ‘The door of the sun’, but could be more freely translated as ‘The gateway to the sun’. Here’s the short history lesson… Over the years, Madrid has had various defensive ramparts, as well as a number Read more…
According to tradition, the name of the patron saint of Madrid came from the place where the figure was found, in the muslim “Almudayna” (citadel). Before Madrid was named Madrid and even before it was called Mayrit, there existed a Visigoth village that worshipped Christian imagery and especially the image Read more…
In Madrid there are more than three million people, but sometimes we just want to enjoy one of them, either because we are in love or because we want to conquer him/her. Temple of Debod at sunset The Temple of Debod is the most romantic place in Madrid . A Read more…
In a village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire to call to mind, there lived not long since one of those gentlemen that keep a lance in the lance-rack, an old buckler, a lean hack, and a greyhound for coursing. The Quixote tells the story Read more…
The Bank of Spain and its vault From the Cibeles square you can see the Bank of Spain, but more importantly, hiding deep inside is what you cannot see: a vault located 38 meters underground. It’s called the ‘Chamber of Gold’, a vault containing most of the Spanish gold reserves; Read more…
Have you ever noticed those markings? You can see them in many blocks in Madrid, next to the names of the streets. They are from the 18th century, the time of the General Planimetry of Madrid. In order to have an efficient way to collect taxes the government numbered the blocks. Read more…