Gran Via, Madrid

one of the crowdest aveues in Madrid.. lots of theatres and shopping centers on the way.. crosses the city from Castellana avenue (Colon sq) to Plaza España and just amidst Plaza Callao.. gorgeous buildings at both sides.. and the best way to get to Chueca quarter from metro Sevilla

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Named after the jewellery shop, Grassy, which has occupied its ground floor since 1952, Edificio Grassy holds the prominent number 1 on Gran Vía. The elegant edifice was built in 1917 in a modernista art déco style, with a wedding cake-like cupola at the top. This building is among the most prominent in the row of great architecture on Gran Vía.

Even if you do not understand Spanish, it is quite an experience to go to a musical. Tickets are from EUR 19 and in Lope de Vega teathre you can see the stage even from the upper balcony seats. Usually you are able to get tickets the same day from theatres ticket office.

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This is the main street of Madrid, majestic in its architecture from early XX century with many buildings sporting elaborate and eclectic decorations. It runs from Plaza de Cibeles to Plaza de Espana. There are many stores, restaurants, theaters, gift shops, etc. It is always full of people.

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Madrid's most famous avenue, Gran Vía, is an amazing showcase of Belle Epoque and Art Déco architecture. It was sliced through old Madrid in the early 20th century to create a grand avenue for the capital of Spain, thus giving way for the architects of the time to design sumptuous buildings along the sides of the Avenue. The result is a mesmerising collection of highly ornate buildings with striking Belle Epoque and Art Déco features. Famous buildings along Gran Vía include Edificio Grassy and Edificio Metrópolis, among many others. Today, Gran Vía is a busy avenue by day or night and is lined with theatres, hotels, cafés and restaurants.

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One of Madrid's landmark buildings, Edificio Metrópolis was built in the early 1900s by French architects for a Spanish insurance company. In the '70s, the building was sold to another insurance company "Metrópolis" and has since gained its current name. The building's monumental architecture is remarkable and worthy of admiration.

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Making 4 items out of Gran Via means that i really like this place. The street is magnifant and you get pain in your neck when looking all the time up to the tops of the buildings. Espacuially at night you should walk Gran Via the buidlings are lighted up and it feels like a fary tale walking along them. Just stroll aloing the street and experience its atmosphere, the people walking by and the night lights...its wonderfull!

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The plaza del Callao, just in the middle of Gran Via can me called the wallhalla of cinema life in Madrid. the cinema's you d find there are the Art deco Cine Caloa, Rex and Capitoil. There are more but thesae ones are amongst the popular ones, serving art-house movies upto mass public hollywood ones. In the Capitol building the hughe capitol cinema is situated, depicting it films in hughe billboards at the outsiede. This art-deco building stems from the 1930's and is the striking feature of Calloa

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Gran via has many shops, thaeters, cinemas and restaurants. Walking down Gran Via you see some outstanding piecesof Modernity architecture. the following ones should not be missed. 1. Edificio al Estrella (on eof the first buldings build as ecclectisism with a touch of neo-classism) 2. La gran Pena (in it is a men-club situated, Franco also wanted to become a member of the club which was a cause for much exitemen) 3. Museo Chicot. (art-deco building now huosing a cocktail bar, very poular amongst celebrities like Sinatra and Dali) 4. Edifificio Grassy ( named after the jewelry shop situated at ground floor, specialized in watches. this builkding is one of the most strking ones. it also contains a museum that exibites very rare watches that have belonged to royalties all over Europe). 5. Telefonica (my favourite oin. its a building in 30's Manhattan style, the tower is 80 meters high and its a striking feature of Madrid. It contains nowadays exibitions and there is a permanent exibition on artefacts dealing with telecommunications.)

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defenitely my favourite! As in the 1850's Madrid devellopped to become a big city it was necessarily to expand. Modernite archtects of Spain got the dedication to experiment with city planning acording to their Fench neighboars in Paris. (the Hausmanization project that teared down the whole inner city in favour of grand avanues) So the Gran Via became into being. Gran via had just like ijn Paris, to be the symbol of a modernit? Madrid. Allthough the plans for Gran Via were already send to the Ayuntamiento as early as 1860, the Gran Via project got its approval by the city coucil in the beginning of the 20 th century. The gran via consisting 3 parts: the street between Plaza Espana to Callao, (which is of lest interrest) the Plza Callao, and the Calle de Alca, which contains some very beuatifull pieces of Modernity architecture. Nowadays Gran via is a crowded avanue with shops restaurants and offices. Its the main road of the town connecting Plaza Espana to Plaza de Cibelis.