Museums, palaces, parks and the Bernabéu — Madrid's essential list, expanding weekly.
Europe's largest functioning royal palace by floor area — used for state ceremonies, not as a royal residence.
Read the guide →One of the world's great art museums — Velázquez, Goya and Bosch, and genuinely worth a half-day.
Read the guide →The city's grandest green space — a rowing lake, the Crystal Palace, and where madrileños actually go to unwind.
Read the guide →Madrid's great arcaded square: 400 years of history, Casa de la Panadería, nine arches and a smarter way to visit the busy centre.
Read the guide →Madrid's landmark boulevard: architecture, theatres, shopping, viewpoints and the best way to walk it.
Read the guide →Real Madrid's home stadium — the tour versus match day, and how to plan around the fixture list.
Read the guide →Madrid's famous 1916 market hall, now a gourmet food destination beside Plaza Mayor — current hours and how to use it well.
Read the guide →A genuine ancient Egyptian temple with free timed interior access — and a sunset plan that needs to account for seasonal closing hours.
Read the guide →Spain's museum of modern and contemporary art — home to Picasso's Guernica.
Read the guide →One pass for the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen — what it includes, what it saves and who should skip it.
Read the guide →A perfectly preserved 1919 metro station, frozen in time beneath Chamberí — one of Madrid's best small museums.
Read the guide →The third of Madrid's 'Golden Triangle' museums — a private collection spanning seven centuries in one building.
Read the guide →Madrid's former slaughterhouse is now a changing arts campus — check the live programme, then pair it with Madrid Río.
Read the guide →City Hall, CentroCentro and a low-cost observation deck in one landmark — with current reopening, ticket and timing guidance.
Read the guide →Madrid's centuries-old Sunday flea market — sprawling, chaotic, and best followed by a long vermouth session.
Read the guide →Atlético Madrid's home ground — a stadium tour and interactive museum that's every bit as good as the Bernabéu's, with far fewer crowds.
Read the guide →La Latina's municipal food market: produce, fish, meat, small bars and a much more everyday Madrid experience than San Miguel.
Read the guide →More Things to do guides go up here every week.
See what's coming →