Page 8 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

6  HOW T O USE THIS GUIDE
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

This guide helps you to get the most using maps, photographs and
from your visit to Spain. It provides illustrations. Features cover topics
detailed practical information and from food and wine to fiestas and
expert recommendations. Introducing beaches. Restaurant and hotel
Spain maps the country and sets it in recommendations can be found in
its historical and cultural context. The Travellers’ Needs. The Survival Guide
five regional sections, plus Barcelona has tips on everything from transport
and Madrid, describe important sights, to using the telephone system.

Barcelona, Madrid BOURBON MADRID M ADRID  287 All pages relating to Madrid have
green thumb tabs. Barcelona’s are
and Seville To the east of Old Madrid, there once lay to expand and embellish the city pink and Seville’s are red.
an idyllic district of market gardens known
as the Prado, the “Meadow”. In the 16th in the 18th century. They built grand
squares with fountains, a triumphal
century a monastery was built and later gateway, and what was to become the
These cities are divided into the Habsburgs extended it to form a Museo del Prado, one of the world’s
palace, of which only fragments now
greatest art galleries. A more recent
addition to the area is the Museo Nacional
remain; the palace gardens are now the
areas, each with its own chapter. popular Parque del Retiro (see p301). Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, a collection of
modern Spanish and international art.
The Bourbon monarchs chose this area
For Barcelona and Madrid, a last Sights at a Glance Streets, Squares and Parks A locator map shows where you are in
Historic Buildings
1 Hotel Ritz by Belmond
2 Plaza Cánovas del Castillo
w Real Academia de la Historia
4 Plaza de Cibeles
chapter, Further Afield, covers e Teatro Español u Plaza de Colón See also Madrid Street Finder, relation to other areas of the city centre.
i Calle de Serrano
r Ateneo de Madrid
t Congreso de los Diputados
p Parque del Retiro
y Café Gijón
a Real Jardín Botánico
peripheral sights. Madrid s Estación de Atocha CALLE DE HERMOSILLA maps 5, 6, 7, 8
Museums and Galleries
3 Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
pp292–3
CALLE DE CLAUDIO COELLO
Province, surrounding the 6 Biblioteca Nacional de España CALLE DE GENSOLA CALLE DE GENOVA Colón DESCUBRIMIENTO JORGE JUAN GOYA
CALLE DE
PLAZA VILLA
DE PARIS
7 Museo Nacional de Artes
JARDINES DEL
Decorativas
C. DE BARBARA DE BRAGANZA COLETOS
8 Salón de Reinos
CALLE DE
capital, has its own chapter. 0 Museo del Prado pp296–9 CALLE DE CALLE DEL ALMIRANTE RECOLETOS DE SERRANO Serrano CALLE DE LAGASCA Area Map
q Casa-Museo de Lope de Vega
Estación de
Recoletos
o Museo Arqueológico Nacional
d Museo Nacional Centro de Arte
CALLE DE PRIM
All sights are numbered and Monuments BARQUILLO PASEO DE RE C. DE SALUSTIANO CALLE Retiro 1For easy reference, sights are
Reina Sofía pp302–3
OLOZAGA
5 Puerta de Alcalá
Banco de España DE CIBELES PLAZA CALLE DE INDEPENDENCIA ALCALA numbered and located on a
PLAZA DE LA
Churches
plotted on the chapter’s area 9 Iglesia de San Sevilla CALLE DE ALCALA CALLE DE MONTALBAN map. City centre sights are also
Jerónimo
el Real
CALLE DE LOS MADRAZO
map. Information on each sight C. DEL PRINCIPE CARRERA DE SAN JERONIMO PLAZA DE PASEO DEL PRADO LEALTAD PLAZA DE LA CALLE DE JUAN DE MENA PASEO SALON DEL ESTANQUE marked on Street Finders:
CALLE DE ZORRILLA
CALLE DE ANTONIO MAURA
CALLE DE ALFONSO XI
CALLE DEL PRADO
CANOVAS
is easy to locate, as it follows the CORTES DEL CASTILLO CALLE DE MORETO C A L L E D E A L F O N S O X I I DEL RETIRO Barcelona (pages 183–9);
P ARQUE
CALLE DE LOPE DE VE GA
numerical order on the map. Antón Martín CALLE DE MORATIN PA S E O D E L PLAZA DE MURILLO CALLE DE PASEO DE LA REPUBLICA DE CUBA Madrid (pages 311–19);
CALLE DE LAS HUERTAS
ESPALTER
CALLE DEL GOBERNADOR P R
REAL JARDÍN
BOTÁNICO PASEO DEL DUQUE FERNAN NUNEZ
CALLE DE ALMADEN A D O
CALLE DE ATOCHA
CALLE DE CLAUDIO
Atocha MOYANO Seville (pages 453–9).
PLAZA DEL
EMPERADOR
CARLOS V
Sights at a Glance lists the Estación de Atocha 0 metres 200
CALLE DE SANTA ISABEL
Atocha Renfe 0 yards 200
chapter’s sights by category: C. DE MENDEZ ALVARO
Churches and Cathedrals, Memorial to the victims of the 2004 terrorist attacks, Parque del Retiro For map symbols see back flap
Museums and Galleries, Streets
286-287_EW_Spain.indd 287 288  M ADRID 20/07/2015 11:40 BOURBON M ADRID  289
and Squares, Historic Buildings, Street-by-Street: Paseo del Prado 5 . Puerta de Alcalá
Sculpted from granite, this
former gateway into the
In the late 18th century, before the museums and
Parks and Gardens. lavish hotels of Bourbon Madrid took shape, the city is especially beautiful
when floodlit at night.
Paseo del Prado was laid out and soon became
a fashionable spot for strolling. Today the Paseo’s
main attraction lies in its museums and art galleries.
Most notable are the Museo del Prado (just south
of the Plaza Cánovas del Castillo) and the Museo Palacio de Comunicaciones Locator Map
Thyssen-Bornemisza, both displaying world-famous Palacio de and City Hall See Madrid Street Finder maps 7, 8
collections. Among the grand monuments built The Paseo del Prado, based on the Linares
under Carlos III are the Puerta de Alcalá, the Fuente Piazza Navona in Rome, was built by
de Neptuno and the Fuente de Cibeles, which Carlos III as a centre for the arts and P L A Z A D E L A
sciences in Madrid.
stand in the middle of busy roundabouts. Banco de Espaňa Metro
Street-by-Street Map P L A Z A D E C A L L E D E A LC A L Á I N D E P E N D E N C I A
2This gives a bird’s-eye view of V A L D E I G L E S I A S B A R Q U I L L O A L F O N S O X I
C I B E L E S
the key areas in each chapter. C A L L E D E A L C A L Á 4 . Plaza de Cibeles
Roman goddess Cybele stands
in this square.
The Edificio Metrópolis Banco de España C A L L E D E L M A R Q U E S CALLE DE MONTALBAN C A L L E D E A L F O N S O X I I A fountain with a statue of the
(see p285), on the corner of
Gran Vía and Calle de Alcalá,
was built in 1910. Its façade C A L L E D E L O S M A D R A Z O C A L L E D E
is distinctively Parisian.
Stars indicate the sights D E C U B A S
P A S E O D E L P R A D O Artes Decorativas
that no visitor should miss. PLAZA DE LA LEALTAD
Z O R R I L L A C A L L E A N T O N I O M A U R A 7 The Museo Nacional de
This museum, near the Retiro,
was founded in 1912 as a
manufacturing industry.
3 . Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza showcase for the Spanish
P LAZ A
290  M ADRID This excellent art collection occupies DE L AS R U I Z D E A L A R C O N
the Neo-Classical Villahermosa Palace, BOURBON M ADRID  291
completed in 1806. C OR TES P LAZ A 8 Salón de Reinos
C ÁNOV AS The former army museum, this
7 Museo Nacional
1 Hotel Ritz by a symbol of Madrid. Around t Congreso de los Diputados section of the Palacio del Buen
Retiro may form part of the
Spain’s parliament witnessed the
Belmond the square rise four important transition from dictator ship to C ASTILL O C A L L E F E L I P E I V Prado Museum.
de Artes Decorativas
DEL
Plaza de la Lealtad 5. Map 7 C3. buildings. The most impressive democracy (see pp72–3). M O R E T O
Calle Montalbán 12. Map 8 D2.
are the town hall, where the
Tel 91 701 67 67.  Banco de España. mayor has his office, and the Tel 91 532 64 99.  Retiro, Banco de To Museo Casón del Buen
^ 7 ∑ ritz.es España. Open 9:30am–3pm Tue–Sat
main post office, the Palacio de 0 metres 100 2 Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo del Prado 1 Hotel Ritz by Belmond Retiro (see p296)
(& 5–8pm Thu), 10am–3pm Sun.
Comunicaciones, also home to 100 In the middle of this large square Hotel Palace With its belle époque interior, The Monumento del Dos
Closed public hols. & (free Thu pm &
A few minutes’ walk from the a cultural centre, CentroCentro. 0 yards stands a sculpted fountain of the this is one of the most de Mayo commemorates Key
Sun). 8 Sun (except Jul & Aug).
the War of Independence
Prado, this hotel is said to be Its appearance – white, with ∑ mnartes decorativas.mecd.es elegant hotels in Spain. against the French (see p67). Suggested route
god Neptune in his chariot.
Spain’s most extravagant. It was high pinnacles – is often likened
part of the new breed of hotels to a wedding cake. It was built For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp568–9 and pp592–3 For additional map symbols see back flap
Housed in the 19th-century
constructed as luxury accommo- between 1905 and 1917 on Palacio de Santoña near the
dation for the wedding guests of the site of former gardens. Parque del Retiro, the National
Alfonso XIII in 1906. On the northeast side is Museum of Decorative Arts
Its opulence (see p569) is the stone façade of the Palacio 288-289_EW_Spain.indd All Pages contains an interesting collec- 20/07/2015 11:40
reflected in its prices. Each of the de Linares, built by the Marquis tion of furniture and objets
158 rooms is beautifully Visitors admiring the works of art in the of Linares at the time of the d’art. The exhibits are mainly A suggested route for a walk
decorated in a different style, with Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza second Bourbon restoration of from Spain and date back as far
carpets made by hand at the Real 1875 (see p68). Once threatened as Phoenician times.
Fábrica de Tapices (see p310). 3 Museo Thyssen- with demo lition, the palace was There are also some excellent
At the start of the Civil War Bornemisza reprieved and converted into the ceramics from Tala vera de is shown in red.
(see pp70–71) the hotel was Casa de América, and now hosts la Reina (see p390), and
converted into a hospital, and See pp292–3. art exhibitions by Latin American ornaments from the Far East.
it was here that the Anarchist artists as well as theatrical Refurbishment work may
leader Buenaventura Durruti performances and lectures. Take affect some rooms.
died of his wounds in 1936. 4 Plaza de Cibeles a break in the palace gardens
Map 7 C1.  Banco de España. and try one of Le Cabrera’s 8 Salón de Reinos
excellent cocktails (see p593).
Casa de América exhibition room: In the northwest corner of the Detailed information
Tel 91 595 48 00. Open 11am–8pm Plaza de Cibeles, surround ed by Calle Méndez Núñez 1. Map 8 D2.
Mon–Sat, 11am–3pm Sun. Closed attractive gardens, is the heavily  Retiro, Banco de España.
Aug & public hols. 8 11am, noon, guarded Army Head quarters, Closed for refurbishment.
1pm Sat & Sun. ∑ casamerica.es which is housed in the buildings The Salón de Reinos (Hall 3The sights in the three
The Plaza de Cibeles is one of the former Palacio de Buena- of Kingdoms) is one of the
of Madrid’s best-known and vista. Commissioned by the Central arch of the Puerta de Alcalá two remaining parts of the
most beautiful landmarks. Duchess of Alba in 1777, const- 17th-century Palacio del Buen main cities are described
The Fuente de Cibeles stands ruction was twice delayed by fire. 5 Puerta de Alcalá 6 Biblioteca Retiro and gets its name from
in the middle of the busy traf fic On the opposite corner is the Map 8 D1.  Retiro. Nacional de España the shields of the 24 kingdoms
island at the junc tion of the Paseo Banco de España, constru cted of the Spanish monarchy,
del Prado and the Calle de Alcalá. between 1884 and 1891. Its This ceremonial gateway is Paseo de Recoletos 20–22. Map 6 D5. part of the decor supervised individually. Addresses,
This sculpted fountain is named design was inspired by the the grandest of the monu- Tel 91 580 78 00. Open 9am–9pm by court painter Velázquez
Mon–Sat, 9am–2pm Sun. Closed
in his attempt to improve the
IV, the Salón was used for
goddess of nature, and shows her
The Fuente de Neptuno after Cybele, the Greco-Roman Venetian Renaissance style, ments erected by Carlos III public hols. 8 5pm Tue & Fri, noon (see p36). In the time of Felipe telephone numbers, opening
with delicate ironwork adorn ing
diplomatic receptions and
sitting in her lion-drawn chariot.
looks of eastern Madrid. It was
Sat. 7 ∑ bne.es
the roof and windows. Much-
2 Plaza Cánovas Design ed by José Hermosilla and needed renovation work has designed by Francesco Sabatini official ceremonies.
del Castillo Ventura Rodríguez in the late returned the bank to its late to replace a smaller Baroque King Philip V of Spain founded
gateway, which had been built
19th-century magnificence.
18th century, it is considered
the National Library in 1712.
Map 7 C3.  Banco de España. by Felipe III for the entry into Since then, it has been hours, admission charges,
Madrid of his wife, Margarita mandatory for printers to
This busy roundabout is named de Austria. submit a copy of every book
after Antonio Cánovas del Construction of the gate printed in Spain. Currently tours, photography and
Castillo, one of the leading began in 1769 and lasted nine it holds some 28 million
statesmen of 19th-century years. It was built from granite publications, plus a large
Spain (see p68), who was in Neo-Classical style, with a number of maps, musical
assassinated in 1897. lofty pediment and sculpted scores and audiovisual wheelchair access are also
Dominating the plaza is the angels. It has five arches – records. Jewels include a first-
Fuente de Neptuno – a fountain three central and two edition Don Quixote and two
with a statue depict ing outer rectangular ones. handwritten codes by da Vinci. provided, as well as public
Neptune in his chariot, being Until the mid-19th century A museum looks at the
pulled by two horses. The the gateway marked the city’s history of the library as well
statue was designed in 1777 easternmost boundary. It now as the evolution of writing,
by Ventura Rodríguez as part stands in the busy Plaza de la reading and media systems. transport links.
of Carlos III’s scheme to Independencia, and is best The library also holds regular
beautify eastern Madrid. The Fuente de Cibeles, with the Palacio de Linares in the background seen when floodlit at night. exhibitions, talks and concerts. Impressive façade of the Salón de Reinos
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp568–9 and pp592–3
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