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From Puerta del Sol to Plaza Mayor
The moving bear statue and the square's successive names let you see two Madrid landmarks as places undergoing change.
The Changing City in Madrid: audio walks
How was Madrid made, and remade?
6 walks with different starting points and stories. Compare their maps, stops and duration, then choose where to begin.
Explore these walks
Madrid hasn't always had the layout or scale you find today. These walks follow how the city was made and remade through projects and transformations that changed its streets. They offer a way to compare what each period wanted to build with the stories and spaces it encountered when it arrived.
In “The Gran Vía: From Zarzuela to War”: The first pickaxe blow and the chapel saved from demolition let you view the opening of the Gran Vía through what changed and what remained.
In “La Latina”: The street that was a ditch and the church beneath the market reveal earlier uses that help explain La Latina's layout.
In “Barrio de las Letras”: The convent turned into a square and vanished houses show how the writers' neighbourhood was remade.
Choose from 6 independent walks in Madrid. Open the one that interests you to see its map, stops and approximate duration before deciding. You don't need to do them all or follow this selection's order; each walk has its own starting and finishing points.
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Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
The Gran Vía: From Zarzuela to War
The first pickaxe blow and the chapel saved from demolition let you view the opening of the Gran Vía through what changed and what remained.
La Latina: From the Medieval Town to the Virgin of La Paloma
The street that was a ditch and the church beneath the market reveal earlier uses that help explain La Latina's layout.
Barrio de las Letras: Cervantes, Lope and Quevedo
The convent turned into a square and vanished houses show how the writers' neighbourhood was remade.
The Royal Palace and the Opera
The burned Alcázar and the theatre over a hidden river let you follow changes around the palace.
The Paseo del Prado: from Cibeles to the Retiro
The Prado that was a meadow and the park opened to residents tell how the uses of the promenade and Retiro changed.
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.
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