Spain Guide : The Plaza Mayor Madrid
July 14th, 2009 by Wayne Rooney, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
One of Madrid’s premier attractions for tourists is the Plaza Mayor, bringing in millions to visit it each year.
While not an architectural work of art, the Plaza is one of the best places in Madrid to experience first hand Madrid’s friendly atmosphere. It’s popular with Spanish citizens as well as tourists, making a good place to meet and interact with citizens of the country.
Established centuries ago, the Plaza Mayor took its approximate current shape in 1790 after the most recent fire. In a literal sense, it has functioned as an area for the public by having bullfights, festivals, political clashes and even be-headings. To make your adventure into this piece of Madrid’s locale more exciting, a little history lesson before arriving would be well worth it.
Not large by some standards, it is nearly square at about 100m on each side, but it can hold nearly 50,000 spectators at a time. And it is often very crowded, especially during the summer time. To have a genuine Spanish adventure, the various festivals they have through out the years are a great chance to experience the culture.
Numerous cafes, bars and restaurants line the Plaza, it’s a beautiful spot to take a rest and get a meal. A plethora of classic Spanish meals can be ordered, often at prices that are reasonable. There are also many souvenir shops were you can purchase something to remember your trip by.
There are many convenient spots in the buildings lining the square where you can get a birds-eye view of events taking place in the Plaza below. These are definitely worth taking the time to venture to if you have time as you’ll be away from the masses of people below and will have more time and space to take in and appreciate the sights and sounds on offer.
