podtour
La Latina: From the Medieval Town to the Virgin of La Paloma
Before it was a capital, Madrid was a walled town with gates and parishes, and La Latina still keeps its layout.
The Royal Palace and the Opera: audio walk in Madrid
From Madrid's first wall to the Teatro Real: the Virgin hidden in a wall tower, a cathedral that took 110 years, the Christmas Eve the Alcázar burned, the painting that outlived its own room, the kings who came down from the roof, an impossible horse, Velázquez's lost grave and the opera house that water closed.
What this walk is about
You start at the flint wall of the emir Muhammad I and find out why Madrid's patron saint shares her name with a granary. The cathedral facing the Palace took more than a century to finish. In the Plaza de la Armería, it's Christmas Eve 1734: the Alcázar burns for days, the official report takes ten days to appear, and one painting, Las Meninas, outlives the very room it shows. The new palace was built of vaults so it could never burn again. In the Plaza de Oriente, there are the stone kings who came down from the cornice and a bronze horse that, so they said in Florence, couldn't possibly stand up; in the Plaza de Ramales, the church where Velázquez was buried and where no one has ever found him again. You finish at the Teatro Real, raised over the fountains and wash-houses of the Caños del Peral and closed in 1925 by the water running beneath its foundations.
- Start
- Walls of fire
- Finish
- A theatre above a hidden river
- Who it is for
- A good starting point for your first visit. For anyone not going inside the Palace. A walk for art and opera lovers. You don’t need any prior knowledge.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk has slopes or changes in level.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
Walls of fire
- 2
The Madonna in the city wall
- 3
The cathedral that took 110 years
- 4
The Christmas Eve the Alcázar burned
- 5
The painting that outlived its room
- 6
A palace built to last
- 7
The kings brought down from the roof
- 8
The horse that shouldn't be able to stand
- 9
The king's new squares and Velázquez's lost grave
- 10
A theatre over the water pipes
- 11
A theatre above a hidden river
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Madrid, before you go
Madrid makes sense square by square. Leave room for a terrace, an unexpected slope and a proper break when the sunshine gets strong.
More walks nearby
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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A little welcome gift
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.