The Plaza Mayor is one of Madrid's main tourist attractions and draws in millions of visitors a year.
While not an architectural work of art, the Plaza is one of the best places in Madrid to experience first hand Madrid's friendly atmosphere. It's popular with Spanish citizens as well as tourists, making a good place to meet and interact with citizens of the country.
Established centuries ago, the Plaza Mayor took its approximate current shape in 1790 after the most recent fire. Throughout the years the Plaza Mayor has been literally a public square and has also hosted political battles, bullfights, festivals and an occasional beheading. Reading up on it's history prior to visiting it, or even whilst there, will make a trip there even more worthwhile.
Holding up to 50,000 people at one time, squaring off at around 100m on each of it's sides, it doesn't seem to be on such a large scale. And it is often very crowded, especially during the summer time. There are still some festivals that take place during the year, and that is a great time to drop by in order to have the real Spanish experience.
It's the perfect place to get a meal or a drink or just take a rest, as there are dozens of cafes, bars and restaurants on offer there. Without being too expensive, you can find some true Spanish cuisine to delve into. There are also numerous shops around to look around where you can buy souvenirs of your visit.
Around the square, there are structures that provide useful vantage points that allow people to watch the events happening in the streets below. These spots are most definitely worth the time and effort to reach, as you will be able to get above and away from the chaos and stress of being present in a large crowd, thus enabling you to have a better chance at watching the events taking place below.
While not an architectural work of art, the Plaza is one of the best places in Madrid to experience first hand Madrid's friendly atmosphere. It's popular with Spanish citizens as well as tourists, making a good place to meet and interact with citizens of the country.
Established centuries ago, the Plaza Mayor took its approximate current shape in 1790 after the most recent fire. Throughout the years the Plaza Mayor has been literally a public square and has also hosted political battles, bullfights, festivals and an occasional beheading. Reading up on it's history prior to visiting it, or even whilst there, will make a trip there even more worthwhile.
Holding up to 50,000 people at one time, squaring off at around 100m on each of it's sides, it doesn't seem to be on such a large scale. And it is often very crowded, especially during the summer time. There are still some festivals that take place during the year, and that is a great time to drop by in order to have the real Spanish experience.
It's the perfect place to get a meal or a drink or just take a rest, as there are dozens of cafes, bars and restaurants on offer there. Without being too expensive, you can find some true Spanish cuisine to delve into. There are also numerous shops around to look around where you can buy souvenirs of your visit.
Around the square, there are structures that provide useful vantage points that allow people to watch the events happening in the streets below. These spots are most definitely worth the time and effort to reach, as you will be able to get above and away from the chaos and stress of being present in a large crowd, thus enabling you to have a better chance at watching the events taking place below.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment