Royal Palace by SirRichard
A wonderful building with even more wonderful gardens. You can tour the palace on your own, at your leisure, or for a few pesetas more you can take a guided tour in English, Spanish, German, or French. Also, international student discounts are offered at most museums so be sure to bring your student ID. The entrance is on the south end of the Palace. Unless there are lines you might not notice it immediately. Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM / Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 AM to 16:00PM
Metro: OperaSome History: The palace was commissioned in the early 1700s by the first of Spain's Bourbon rulers, Felipe V. It took 26 years to build, and today it takes nearly two hours for a guided tour to even begin to scratch the surface of its treasures. They include a two-ton crystal chandelier in the Salon de Gasparini, King Carlos III's ornate private apartments; the Royal Library, which boasts a first edition of Cervantes's DON QUIXOTE; and the Music Museum, which has the world's largest collection of instruments built by the legendary luthier Stradivarius. Don't worry about running into the King and Queen: no royalty has lived in the palace since 1931.
