Sol-Gran Vía
This busy area is possibly Madrid’s most touristy area.
The area between Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía, with the adjoining streets, is undoubtedly the centre of Madrid’s tourist, cultural and recreational life. It’s here that visitors start or end their tour of the city. It’s here that you can listen to the heartbeats of the Spanish capital.
Puerta del Sol marked the city’s eastern boundaries in the fifteenth century. Later on, when Madrid expanded to the east, the area became the city’s nerve centre. This large square makes one of the most popular meeting points in town, with visitors and locals gathering at the Kilometre Zero mark, the statue of the bear and the strawberry tree, the statue of Charles III of Spain on horseback or the replica of the statue of Mariblanca. At midnight on 31 December every year, the square attracts huge crowds that come to welcome the New Year, swallowing a grape for each of the twelve chimes of the clock.
Gran Vía, may be recent, as its construction started in 1910, but in less than hundred years, has become the flagship of the city. It houses theatres, movie theatres, department stores and some of the most exclusive shops in Madrid. It is also considered a showcase of early 20th century architecture with unique buildings like Metrópolis and Carrión, Edificio Telefónica or Real Oratorio del Caballero de Gracia.
It has recently revealed a new look, with more vegetation and innovative urban furniture, although the most important changes lie in the circulation. The new Gran Vía has been freed of cars and pollution and is more pedestrian friendly. New zebra crossings have been created and the pavements have been extended so you have more space to enjoy strolls along this main street. Furthermore, in the section between the Plaza de España and Plaza de Callao, an independent cycle lane has been created going upwards.
In this neighbourhood, you will also find the recently refurbished Gran Via metro station , the entrance to which is a replica of the temple built by architect Antonio Palacios at the start of the 20th century, which provided access to the first line on Madrid’s new metropolitan network, running North – South.
The Sol-Gran Vía area hosts a number of important art centres and institutions. Find some of them below.
San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts
The old Madrid Academy of Fine Arts displays paintings by great artists like Murillo, Goya, Zurbarán, Rubens and the only work by Arcimboldo in Spain, The Spring.
An old royal monastery dating back to the sixteenth century, the Descalzas Reales has a collection that includes works of art by Gaspar Becerra and Pompeo Leoni, among other artists. They are part of the permanent exhibition.
A cultural institution established in 1880, the Círculo de Bellas Artes holds exhibitions, conferences, concerts and other activities aimed at promoting art. The building that’s home to it, designed by architect Antonio Palacios and opened in 1926, has a rooftop affording stunning views of Gran Vía.
The first and only Spanish lyrical theatre offers an extensive programme with the best zarzuela works all year round.
The headquarters of the institution in charge of spreading the Spanish language is located in the Edificio de las Cariátides, formerly the Central Bank of the River Plate. It also maintains a great cultural activity for all audiences by hosting plays, exhibitions and workshops for children.
Espacio Telefónica Foundation
The first skyscraper erected in Madrid, the Telefónica Building was refurbished to house a cultural centre staging exhibitions to disseminate twenty-first-century culture and the latest knowledge technologies.
The Official Credit Institute Foundation holds exhibitions focused on architecture and urban planning.
Three floors dedicated to gaming with French and American roulettes, traditional Baccarat, Poker and Blackjack tables. It also features live music.
The story has it that this museum once was a house where the famous mouse lived with his family. Now children big and small can see what his house was like and have a look at the historical documents related to Ratón Pérez.
Sol-Gran Vía is a top shopping district in Madrid. Visitors shouldn’t miss window shopping here – an unrivalled experience in what seems like a huge open-air shopping centre.
Some of the main streets are reserved for pedestrians, making them a perfect place for a stroll. This is the case of de Preciados and del Carmen Streets (where you can find the famous Doña Manolita lottery booth) that run almost parallel from Puerta del Sol to Plaza de Callao. Here we can find large department stores, youth-fashion chains, toy stores, costume shops and music stores like FNAC; la Casa del Libro and La Central are also close by. Football lovers can visit the official Real Madrid shops at number 31 Gran Vía, and Atletico de Madrid just a few metres from Plaza de Callao. These streets become especially colorful in Christmas time, thanks to the special lighting and thousands of locals and tourists looking for that perfect Christmas present.
Gran Vía, since its beginnings, has been a focal point for commercial activity in Madrid and has been gaining more pedestrian space. Ground floors of the impressive buildings that crown both sides of the street house national and international fashion stores (like Primark), luxury jewelry stores and electronic stores offering new technologies. This is the case of the largest Huawei shop in Europe located at number 48 of Gran Vía and which has the latest products in the catalogue, interactive experiences and state-of-the-art technology.
Around Plaza de Callao you can find some very special shops where the most romantic vinyl lovers can find some real jewels.
Other typical businesses in this area include traditional shops specialized in religious items, embroidery, capes… Casa de Diego is one of the essential shops to get a fan or an umbrella made by craftsmen and the Capas Seseña shop specialized in the design of capes.
The new stores that have set up shop here include WOW, a mega store where you can find items from online and traditional brands; and Galeria Canalejas, an exclusive shopping mall that is the epitome of luxury in the heart of Madrid, home to more than 40 boutiques of the most prestigious luxury firms in the world such as Hermès, Cartier, and Rolex.
Sol-Gran Vía offers entertainment all day – and all night – long. The nerve centre of the city, Puerta del Sol is busy 24 hours a day too. Around this area, we can find numerous entertainment options: cafes, bars, live music, theatres and movie theatres like the Capitol or the Cines Callao. Some of the city’s best party venues and current electronic music clubs rule the nightlife of the area.
If we talk about the leisure offer on the Gran Vía, we must classify it as the street of shows. In the surrounding area there are famous flamenco tablaos such as Torres Bermejas, as well as the music club Café Berlin Club Madrid. Another proposal is the American-style cocktail lounge, Josealfredo Bar, one of the most popular ones in Madrid; and La ideal, a typical bar of traditional tapas from Madrid specialised in squid sandwiches. The mythical Museo Chicote cocktail bar also stands out.
A little more than a kilometre away, we can find the Coliseum, Lope de Vega, Rialto, Calderón, Fígaro - Adolfo Marsillach, Pequeño Teatro Gran Vía, Teatro EDP Gran Vía and Muñoz Seca and Príncipe Gran Vía theatres. Their billboards have presented and continue to present classics such as The Lion King, The Bodyguard, Sister Act, Billy Elliot, West Side Story or Mamma Mía!, and other national shows devoted to the golden age of Spanish pop, the 1980s.
Very nearby, located between Lavapiés and Puerta del Sol, is the Museum of Illusions Madrid, a space designed for all ages where you enter the world of optical illusions. Furthermore, right by Puerta de Sol is Hammam Al Ándalus, a centre that reinterprets the ancient Moorish baths of Al Andalus in a modern way.
Wide range of terraces
The neighbourhood is home to numerous terraces, such as the El Jardín de Diana, located on the tenth floor of the Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid hotel where you can enjoy a delicious signature cocktail and light snacks. Picalagartos Sky Bar is a 360-degree roof terrace located in the NH Collection Gran Via Hotel, looking out over the most emblematic sights in Madrid.
On the roof of the Vincci THE MINT hotel, you will find one of the best terraces for dinner or drinks with incredible views of Madrid's Gran Via. Attico 11 (Hotel Iberostar Las Letras Gran Via) is a bohemian space where you can enjoy a drink as you feast your eyes on one of the most impressive skylines in the city.
You can also enjoy a cocktail at the Terraza Hotel Emperador next to the city's largest rooftop pool in the heart of Gran Via. Other options include the Ella Sky bar, Sky 44, Osadía Restaurante & Sky Bar and WXYZ Rooftop Bar, among others.
Very close to the Puerta del Sol you can find the two most traditional restaurants in Madrid, Restaurante Lhardy, with its cocido that is highly acclaimed among culinary critics, and Casa Labra, a tavern that became famous thanks to its Soldaditos de Pavía (fried codfish).
The offer in Gran Vía is quite different. On the street level you can find plenty of fast food places like Five Guys, but on the other hand, the Gourmet Experience space, located on the top floor of Callao´s El Corte Inglés with breathtaking views of the whole city, puts together a selection of cafes, bars, restaurants and delicatessen shops. For its part, the fifth floor of El Corte Inglés de la Puerta del Sol houses the traditional Madrid tavern Puertalsol run by the well-known chefs Alberto Chicote and Pedro Olmedo.
Other interesting restaurants located in Gran Vía include La Primera, Caramba, Mercado de la Reina (also a gin club), as well as The Principal or Tartan Roof, other establishments with impressive terraces. The restaurant with several terraces, Picalagartos Sky - Bar, located on the rooftop of the Hotel NH Collection Gran Vía, stands out.
Close to Sol and Gran Vía you can also have a very traditional snack in some of the old-fashioned cake shops like Antigua Pastelería del Pozo, Casa Mira, El Riojano, La Violeta and La Mallorquina.
Just a short walk from the Puerta del Sol, we can find the Casino of Madrid whose upper floor is home to Paco Roncero Restaurante, the culinary space with two Michelin stars run by Paco Roncero, an unquestionable reference on today’s culinary scene. Nearby you will find La Negra Tomasa, a restaurant that takes you on a tour of Cuban flavours, colours, and music.
In the building known formally as Palacio de la Equitativa, you will find Galeria Canalejas, which offers incredible food with dishes created by renowned Michelin starred chefs. On the lower ground level is the Galeria Canalejas Food Hall with 13 restaurants serving different national and speciality cuisines, including renowned Michelin starred establishments and the finest Spanish, international and fusion food, making this a new culinary landmark in the city.