We will take a walk through the city center, the “old” Madrid, the capital of an empire.

The Austrias neighborhood is home to many of the sites and monuments built during the 16th and 17th centuries, when the city became the capital of Spain and seat of the Habsburg court by decision of Philip II in 1561. Its narrow, irregular streets reveal buildings of sober and austere architecture, in keeping with the character of those monarchs.

King Philip II began the first works, but it was his son Philip III who promoted the urban development of the new capital. Despite the changes and the passage of time, the architectural traces of that period are still preserved in the historic center of Madrid. Traditional shops and taverns are preserved in this part of the city.

Route

· Plaza Mayor – Starting point, the scene of all kinds of events at the time: markets, bullfights, popular shows, autos-da-fé…
· Arco de Cuchilleros.
· Palacio de Santa Cruz, headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
· Calle Toledo – Royal Collegiate Church of San Isidro – Imperial College
· Cava Baja
· Plaza de Puerta Cerrada.- Calle Cuchilleros- Mesón Restaurante Botín
· Plaza del Conde de Miranda. -Corpus Christi Convent (las Carboneras).
· San Miguel Market
· Plaza de la Villa: – Statue of Admiral Álvaro de Bazán and buildings in the Mudejar, Plateresque, and Baroque styles: Casa Torre de los Lujanes (15th century), Casa Cisneros (16th century), and Casa de la Villa (17th century) until 2011.
· Calle Bailén –   Almudena Cathedral and  Royal Palace, both  built on the site of the former Alcázar,
· Royal Monastery of La Encarnación.
· Plaza de Oriente
· Calle Arenal- Convent of Las Descalzas Reales
· Puerta del Sol – End of the  tour

This tour will take us through the city conceived by the monarchs of the Bourbon dynasty. With their arrival, Madrid saw many of its old, winding streets transformed, along with some of its most representative buildings and customs.

From the Plaza Mayor to the Plaza Cánovas del Castillo, some of the city’s most notable buildings can be found. We will tour Monumental Madrid through fountains, palaces, gardens, and buildings that changed the city’s appearance.

The era of the enlightened monarchs, the 18th and 19th centuries, was a time when museums, libraries, and academies were conceived, which would shape the urban and monumental layout of the city and which, to this day, continue to be an important reference point.

Route:

· Starting point: Plaza Mayor.
· Calle Mayor.
· Puerta del Sol.
· Calle de Alcalá.
· San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts.
· Circle of Fine Arts.
· Bank of Spain.
· Plaza de Cibeles.
· Post Office Building – current City Hall
· Puerta de Alcalá – Main entrance to Retiro Park
· Calle de Alfonso XII
· Casón del Buen Retiro
· Academy of Language
· Plaza de la Lealtad.
· Prado Museum.
· Thyssen Bornemisza Museum.
· Neptune Fountain – End of the tour