VISITING MADRID
Old part of town
The area comprising Sol, the Royal Palace and San Francisco el Grande concentrates the oldest part of the city, currently known as "Madrid of the Austrias" or "Madrid of the Habsburgs", although neither Felipe II nor his dinasty left much of their trace in it. Right in the centre there is the Plaza Mayor, an archetypical castilian baroque creation.
Other interest points in the old district are: Casa de la Panadería, Casa de la Carnicería, Santa Cruz's Palace and Market, San Miguel's Market, Plaza de la Villa, Casa de Cisneros, Convent of Carboneras, Archbishop's Palace, San Miguel's Basilica , Plaza de la Paja, San Pablo's Church, Bishop's Chapel and San Andrés Chapel.
Madrid of the Bourbons
During the reign of Charles III some of the most representative monuments of the city were built: Puerta de Alcalá , Puerta del Sol or Plaza Cibeles.
Mountain ranges: nature next to the city.
• Sierra de la Pedriza. Granite morphology geographical accident. It allows the visitors to stroll along paths and through delightful woods very close to the city.
• Sierra de Patones. The unarguable natural worth of this range joins with the historic value of its villages. |
