We Take A Walk Through The Less Known Madrid
Madrid is a huge city, with many places to visit. Some are left out of the tourist circuits, and even the locals themselves do not know of their existence. Today we want to take you through the less known Madrid, discovering those corners that also deserve a mention and recognition.
1. The oldest restaurant in the world
Thousands of people pass through its door every day, and it is just a few meters from the Arco de Cuchilleros, the most famous entrance to the Plaza Mayor. But few know that Sobrino de Botín is the oldest restaurant in the world, and as such appears in the Guinness Book of Records. It was founded in 1725 and since then its stoves have not been turned off. A place full of charm and history.
2. The Arab wall
Madrid was an Arab square, it had its fortress and its strong wall. Fragments of the latter still remain, few, but some are still well visible. Right next to the Almudena Cathedral, on the Cuesta de la Vega, you can see a part of the canvas of what is the oldest monument in Madrid, since it was built in the 9th century.
3. The ghost station
This lesser-known part of Madrid is underground. Chamartín is a station that closed in 1966, although trains continue to pass through its tracks. The abandonment gave way to restoration and a second life as part of Andén 0, a project to publicize the Madrid metro and its history. Entering this station, with its tiles, its old lockers and its posters, is quite an experience.
4. A Romanesque hermitage
One of the most unknown jewels of the Spanish capital. The hermitage of Santa María la Antigua is in the Carabanchel neighborhood and was built in the 13th century. Time has passed and it has undergone some remodeling, but it retains its Romanesque-Mudejar style. Of its original structure, the head, the tower and the southern wall, where the portal is located, stand out. And inside, a beautiful coffered ceiling.
5. A little oasis
It is an old recreational estate that, ceded to the Madrid City Council in the 80s, has become one of those corners where you can walk quietly and completely forget that we are in a big city. With its gardens, walks and orchards, the Quinta de los Molinos is magical. Especially when winter is about to leave and its hundreds of almond trees bloom.
6. A whim
Another of those wonderful corners of Madrid that you have to discover, because this is one of the most beautiful and romantic parks in the capital. In it you will see classic pavilions, gardens of different styles, meadows and streams. Thus, the El Capricho park lives up to its name. Ideal to get lost in it without haste.
7. A hidden treasure
The exterior, simple and austere, gives no idea of what the visitor finds when crossing its doors. The church of San Antonio de los Alemanes is a baroque riot of shapes and colors, architectural elements and frescoes on the walls and the dome that leave you speechless. A real surprise from our lesser known Madrid.
8. Paradoxes of life
The Barrio de las Letras is more than known in the capital, but it contains a curiosity that many do not know. Here Cervantes lived and here he is buried, in the Convent of the Trinitarians, on Lope de Vega Street. And where is the Lope de Vega House-Museum, another of the neighborhood’s illustrious neighbors? Well, on Cervantes street.
9. The best view of our lesser known Madrid
Madrid has many viewpoints: the rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes, the Palacio de Comunicaciones or the Faro de Moncloa, to name a few. But you will have the most iconic view from the cafeteria of a well-known department store in the Plaza de Callao. From there you will fall in love with the capital without being able to avoid it.
Cover photo: ElTuri / Flickr.com
