Puerta Del Sol
If you did Tour 1 you know about Puerta Del Sol and you know about the yummy treats available here, so I won't repeat.
To to get to the next stop you can either jump on the metro and catch the red line to Banco De Espana its 2 stops or you can walk down Calle De Alcala.
Plaza de Cibeles
This is one of the liveliest, best-known and most beautiful squares in Madrid, and is home to such emblematic monuments as the Cibeles Fountain and Palace. This is a visit not to be missed on any trip to the city.
The Cibeles fountain, the symbol of Madrid, stands in the middle of the square. Goddess of nature and protector of the town, this sculpture was designed by Ventura Rodríguez in 1777. An interesting fact is that the Real Madrid football fans gather around this monument to celebrate their club's major victories.Also in this square is the Cibeles Palace (today the site of the City Hall) which also houses the cultural space known as CentroCentro (with an exhibition hall and auditorium, and a viewing platform offering outstanding panoramic views over Madrid); and the Glass Gallery, a space which is available to all (designed as an events venue) and featuring a spectacular glass vault.Other famous buildings such as the Bank of Spain, the Linares Palace and the Buenavista Palace also stand in this square. This is the start of the well-known avenue of Paseo del Prado.
Prado Museum
This gallery in Madrid has the most complete collection of Spanish paintings from 11th-18th centuries, and numerous masterpieces by great universal artists such as El Greco, Velázquez, Goya, Bosch, Titian, Van Dyck and Rembrandt.
The quality and variety of its collection makes the Prado one of the world's best-endowed museums. It combines a first-class collection of Spanish painting, the most important works of the Flemish and Italian schools, and various fine examples of the German, French and English schools. It is home to numerous masterpieces of universal art such as Las Meninas by Velázquez, the two Majas by Goya, Nobleman with his hand on his chest by El Greco, the Garden of Delights by Bosch, and The Three Graces by Rubens, among other priceless pieces. Although the museum was created to house primarily works of painting and sculpture, it also contains major collections of drawings, engravings, coins and medals, as well as items of clothing and decorative art.The museum's exhibition area was increased by more than 50% in 2007 with the extension designed by the Spanish architect Rafael Moneo. The new area includes four rooms for temporary exhibitions, the restored cloister of the church of Los Jerónimos, a large entrance hall, an auditorium seating 438 people, as well as various storage facilities and workshops for the restoration of artworks. Elements worth noting on the exterior include the impressive bronze doors by Cristina Iglesias and the Tuscan box gardens.
Next to the Prado are the Royal Botanical Gardens.
Royal Botanical Gardens
The Royal Botanical Garden was founded by Ferdinand VI in 1755, and was designed by the architects Francisco Sabatini and Juan de Villanueva. Some of its most interesting features include the gates known as the Puerta de Murillo, and the Puerta del Rey, and the Villanueva Pavilion. Its lovely neo-Gothic layout and its location in the centre of the city make it one of the most distinctive botanical gardens in Europe. Since it was first established, one of its main functions has been to investigate, conserve and raise awareness of the world of plants. Its collections include herbaria, the drawings and manuscripts in its archives, and its library. It houses the material collected on the scientific expeditions undertaken in the 18th and 19th centuries to America (Mutis, Ruiz y Pavón, Malaspina, etc.), among others. The flowerbeds feature a display of valuable living plants with over 5,000 different species. It has two greenhouses: the exhibition greenhouse, with three environments (tropical, humid and desert); and the palm hothouse, built in the 19th century. It also has an important collection of Bonsais.
Across the road from the Royal Botanical Gardens is El Retiro Park.
El Retiro Park
El Retiro is a sprawling green space that changes with the seasons and so is simply delightful to visit all year round. Home to acres of gardens, perfectly pruned trees. In 1935, it was declared a Garden of Historic-Artistic value and in 2021 the park was been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Located in the heart of Madrid, its origins date from the reign of Philip IV, when the Buen Retiro Palace was built by the Count-Duke of Olivares. The Astronomical Observatory and the Buen Retiro Royal Porcelain Factory were added during the reign of Charles III. During the reign of Ferdinand VII, the pier on the pond and the Casa de Fieras zoo was built. Among the most prominent spots, the park includes the great pond with the monument to Alfonso XII, the Casa de Velázquez and the Crystal Palace, the Rosaleda rose garden and the Parterre, boasting one of the oldest trees in Madrid, a Taxodium mucronatum.
From the Park head towards the Atocha station for a bit of a surprise.
Atocha Station
While the train station doesn’t look like much on the outside, the inside is actually a beautiful hidden garden that’s free to visit and simply gorgeous to look at. The garden was inaugurated in 1992 and boasts around 7,000 plants (mainly tropical varieties), with some being almost as tall as the interior of the train station itself.
Blue or Purple line will get you to Puerta Del Sol