The best things to see and do in the new Plaza de España in Madrid

When planning what to visit in Madrid, during a tourist trip, on your walk through the city you will surely contemplate reaching the Spain Square, at the end of the Gran Vía, and very close to Royal Palace.

Furthermore, this central square in the capital has recently been remodeled, both in its urban configuration and its main buildings.

In this way, in recent times it has gone from being a somewhat degraded area to becoming a fashionable space where Madrid residents and visitors come to walk and do various activities.

What is the Plaza de España like after its remodeling?

La remodeling of the Plaza de España in Madrid It has been one of the most notable urban renewal projects in the city among those carried out in recent times.

With a investment of 65 million euros The gastronomic workshop has a duration of more than three years, the work has completely transformed this emblematic square, giving it new green, pedestrian and leisure spaces.

One of the main characteristics of the remodeling has been the reduction of road traffic in the area.

One lane of traffic has been eliminated in each direction on the Gran Vía, which has allowed the sidewalks to be expanded and a new pedestrian space created in the center of the square.

In addition, the street pavement has been renewed and new street furniture has been installed.

Another novelty of the Plaza of Spain is the creation of a large space in the center to house events and various cultural and leisure activities.

And on the other hand, the remodeling has meant a gain for pedestrians and the garden areas, so that the Plaza of Spain Now it is pedestrian integrated with nearby places such as the Royal Palace or Temple of Debod.

In the Spain Square in Madrid Road traffic has been reduced and pedestrian areas expanded, so that it has become one of the main tourist and leisure spaces in the Spanish capital.

It should be noted that in the Christmas time, in addition to housing a craft and gift market, the plaza is the place where, after its remodeling, the biggest christmas tree that can be seen in Madrid.

The best things to see and do in Madrid's Plaza de España

Now, what are the corners that you should not miss on your visit to the Spain Square in Madrid?

And also, what activities you can enjoy during your visit.

At the outset you should know that in the Plaza of Spain You find two historic skyscrapers which, for decades, have been one of the iconic images of the capital of Spain.

And also one of the main monuments, specifically, the dedicated to Miguel de Cervantes, and one of the best exponents of the modern architecture in Madrid, the Gallardo House.

Tower of Madrid

Of the aforementioned skyscrapers that you find in this central Madrid square, the tallest, the Tower of Madrid, became in the 60s the tallest skyscraper in Europe.

This tall, lanky white skyscraper began construction in 1954 by Julian and Jose Maria Otamendi, architects who were brothers.

At that time the Building Spain, but the Tower of Madrid, with its Meters 142, became the tallest building in Europe and also the tallest concrete building in the world.

From the beginning it housed both homes and offices, shops, a hotel and a cinema. It has twelve elevators that in their time were the model with the capacity to go up faster.

Seven years after its inauguration, Tower of Madrid It was surpassed in height by a new skyscraper built in Brussels, Belgium.

But until 1985 it remained as the tallest building in Madrid, until the Torrespaña television tower.

Nowadays, when you visit Madrid, the highest skyscraper you will find them in the Paseo de la Castellana and, specifically, in the new complex Four Towers Business Area.

Building Spain

He is known as Building Spain You will recognize it by its red brick façade, and it is the first to be built, in 1953.

Construction began in 1948, according to the architects' project Julian and Jose Maria Otamendi, with a façade design that alternates red bricks and limestone, although it has a main portico in a neo-baroque style.

El Building Spain has a Height of 117 meters, 27 stories high, and was disused until being closed in 2006.

Previously it housed the Crowne Plaza, as well as offices and apartments, and after its recent remodeling, this building houses the Hotel Riu Plaza de España, with its highly visited panoramic terrace.

The image of building spain framing the bottom of the monument to Cervantes It is one of the characteristic images of the city of Madrid.

Panoramic terrace of the Hotel Riu

As we have mentioned, a panoramic terrace has been set up at the top of the España Building that has quickly become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Madrid.

After its inauguration in 2019, the terrace of the Hotel Riu Plaza de España called 360º Rooftop Bar, and it is a 570 square meter space, where you can eat, have a coffee, a cocktail or an aperitif and, above all, enjoy one of the best panoramic views of the capital.

Walk on the glass platforms It is one of the great attractions of going up to the terrace of this four-star hotel.

Monument to Cervantes in Plaza de España

The most prominent space in the Plaza de España in Madrid is, without a doubt, the one occupied by the central gardens, and in the center of them you find one of the monuments best known in Madrid, the one dedicated to Miguel de Cervantes.

The construction of this monument was decided to commemorate in 1916 the 3th anniversary of the death of Miguel de Cervantes.

A year earlier was when the competition was called, but it was not until October 1929 when it was inaugurated.

In current times it is curious to know that, to pay for the construction of the monument, a fundraiser was carried out in all Spanish-speaking countries, since with this monument they also wanted to celebrate the dissemination of the Spanish language throughout the world.

For this reason, a world ball appears at the top of the obelisk, in contrast to the initial project of placing a winged victory.

On the west side of the monument are the large equestrian statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.

Due to its preferential arrangement and the contrast of its dark color compared to the white of the monument, don't you think that they take away the prominence of the statue of Miguel de Cervantes?

While Cervantes appears sitting behind Don Quixote y Sancho Panza, at first glance there is no doubt that these statues are more outstanding.

El monument to Cervantes in the Plaza de España, apart from those mentioned Cervantes, Don Quixote y Sancho Panza, has other secondary characters.

The most notable is Isabel from Portugal, whose statue is located on the opposite side, in the east orientation, on the shell-shaped fountain.

For their part, the groups of characters from Our wines are dedicated to the theatre, therefore are named by famous male and female play roles., Rinconcete and Cortadillo, and the Gypsy girl, were not incorporated until the 50s.

Now when visit the Plaza de España You can now try to recognize each of the characters in the monument.

 Casa Gallardo in Plaza de España

Of the buildings that surround the gardens of the Plaza de España, surely it is the one known as Gallardo House the one that will surprise you the most with its beautiful architecture.

It is a building modernist architectural style, one of the few examples that exist in Madrid, which was completed in 1915.

Building of the Royal Asturian Mining Company

Right in front of the Gallardo House, and on the way to the Royal Palace, you will see a beautiful building that stands out for its towers and its reddish façade, which was originally the headquarters of the Royal Asturian Mining Company.

Built at the end of the 19th century, it is currently the headquarters of one of the departments of the Region of Madrid.

Photos of Plaza España in Madrid

Here you have more photos of the Plaza de España in Madrid.