# What to see in Madrid: the 20 must-sees
The places that come up most in travel guides and visitor reviews: museums, palaces, squares, parks and neighbourhoods for a first visit to the Spanish capital.
- 113 votes · 22 items
- Jun 24, 2025 · don_viajeroeterno
- https://even.best/en/l/1/what-to-see-in-madrid-the-20-must-sees
## Top 20
1. **Royal Palace of Madrid** (8 · ▲8 ▼0) — Official residence of the Spanish Crown, built in the 18th century with over 3,000 rooms; the largest royal palace in Western Europe.
2. **El Retiro Park** (8 · ▲8 ▼0) — Former royal garden of 125 hectares with its boating lake, the Crystal Palace and the rose garden; a World Heritage Site since 2021 together with the Paseo del Prado.
3. **Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum** (7 · ▲7 ▼0) — A private collection turned national museum that covers eight centuries of European painting, from Gothic to Pop Art.
4. **Monastery of the Descalzas Reales** (7 · ▲7 ▼0) — 16th-century convent founded by Joanna of Austria, with tapestries based on Rubens cartoons; guided visits by Patrimonio Nacional.
5. **Madrid Río** (7 · ▲7 ▼0) — Riverside park of about 10 km along the Manzanares, built over the buried M-30 ring road, near the Toledo Bridge and Matadero.
6. **Puerta del Sol** (6 · ▲6 ▼0) — Kilometre zero of Spain's radial roads, with the clock that rings in the New Year and the Bear and Strawberry Tree statue.
7. **Prado Museum** (5 · ▲7 ▼2) — Art museum opened in 1819, home to Velázquez's Las Meninas, Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights and Goya's Black Paintings.
8. **Plaza Mayor** (5 · ▲6 ▼1) — Arcaded 17th-century square with 237 balconies and the equestrian statue of Philip III in the middle.
9. **Santiago Bernabéu Stadium** (5 · ▲5 ▼0) — Real Madrid's stadium, renovated with a retractable roof; the tour covers the dressing rooms, presidential box and trophy room.
10. **El Rastro** (5 · ▲5 ▼0) — Open-air flea market held every Sunday and public holiday on Ribera de Curtidores for more than 250 years.
11. **Gran Vía** (4 · ▲4 ▼0) — Avenue begun in 1910, lined with landmarks such as the Metrópolis and Telefónica buildings, musical theatres and shops.
12. **Malasaña** (4 · ▲4 ▼0) — The neighbourhood of the 1980s Movida madrileña, now full of vintage shops, cafés and bars around Plaza del Dos de Mayo.
13. **Reina Sofía Museum** (3 · ▲4 ▼1) — Modern and contemporary art museum that houses Picasso's Guernica, plus works by Dalí and Miró.
14. **Plaza de Cibeles** (3 · ▲4 ▼1) — Square with the Cybele fountain (1782) and the Cibeles Palace, the city hall, which has a rooftop viewpoint.
15. **La Latina** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — Traditional neighbourhood known for tapas on Cava Baja, packed on Sundays after El Rastro.
16. **Círculo de Bellas Artes** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — Cultural centre on Calle de Alcalá whose rooftop offers one of the best views over Madrid and the Gran Vía.
17. **Temple of Debod** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Egyptian temple from the 2nd century BC given by Egypt to Spain in 1968; one of the city's most famous sunset spots.
18. **Puerta de Alcalá** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Neoclassical monumental gate commissioned by Charles III and completed in 1778, next to the Retiro.
19. **San Miguel Market** (1 · ▲2 ▼1) — Iron market hall from 1916 next to Plaza Mayor, now a gourmet tapas market.
20. **Liria Palace** (1 · ▲2 ▼1) — 18th-century palace of the House of Alba, open to visitors since 2019, with works by Goya, Titian and Rubens.
21. **Almudena Cathedral** (0 · ▲3 ▼3) — Madrid's cathedral, facing the Royal Palace, consecrated by John Paul II in 1993 after more than a century of construction.
22. **Royal Botanical Garden** (0 · ▲2 ▼2) — Botanical garden opened in 1781 next to the Prado, with thousands of plant species.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.