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Puerta del Sol, Madrid

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Puerta del Sol, Madrid
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The Center of Spain! - Madrid
The Center of Spain!
by jamiesno
Things to Do in Madrid: Puerta del Sol tips and photos posted by real travelers and Madrid locals.
Puerta del Sol
The "center" of Madrid
• 103 Photos
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Puerta del Sol: Puerta del Sol
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  • Puerta del Sol (the gate to the sun), or better: simply called Sol, is the heart of Madrid. Its an overcrowded place of people hurrying to their work, the shops or just are there to meet up with their friends. Its a popular place of meeting. Its also at night the ultimate nightlife spot connecting the Plaza Santa Anna area to the La Latina barro and on the other direction thereyou walk into Chueca (a long walk though...) The plaza has the form of a half moon and in the middle of it there is a statue of Carlos the third on a horse. on the other side iof the street you find the ministery of foreighn affairs, the hughe red building with the big clock. This is the place where the madrelenes at new years eve gather to count down the minutes into the new year as they eat 12 grapes with their champaign enabling them to do 12 wishes for the upcoming year. In front of the building you can find the Zero-kilometer sign on the pavement. It symbolizes the idea that Madrid is the ultimate centre of the spanish trafficroadsystem, all the roads and highways in spain are measured in distance from this point in Madrid, that is, this sign on the pavement. On the other side of the road again, you fin next to the Court Ingless the symbol of Madrid: a statue of a bear reaching for the strawberries in the tree.

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    Puerta del Sol: Puerta del Sol
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  • The Puerta del Sol is the geographical centre of Spain.
    There is a stone slab which marks Kilometer zero. This is the starting point for the 6 main highways in Spain
    It is a very busy square and is a popular meeting point for people of all ages.

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    Puerta del Sol: Puerto del Sol
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  • The bustling center of Madrid is where you will find many fine buildings, shops with High Street Names, Hotels, bars & cafes. This place is a melting pot where tourists & locals collide. It can be very busy & crowded but it is nice to walk around & see the many sights

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    Puerta del Sol: Chocolate con Churros!!
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  • Here's the queue for this place on a fiesta day... - Madrid
    Here's the queue for this
    place on a fiesta day...
    by mollymoo0oo0, 4 more photos
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    It's an absolute institution to try chocolate con churros here... and San Gines is undoubtably the best and most popular place in the city for it!!!

    So popular - and big - is this place, that you pay first and they have a ticketing system for collection... *and* they serve the freshest yummiest chocolate (Spanish hot chocolate, which is very very thick and unlike any other I've tasted in another country) partnered perfectly with churros (a long stick of 'doughnut' type consistency... though far far better than any doughnut in my opinion). There are also porras, which are similar to churros, only thicker. Early evening prices are halved to cater for the local shopping crowd who wander by from Sol and Plaza Mayor

    Coffees and a bar of the usual drinks are also available here, though most of the patrons you will find being consumed with chocolate!! The place is huge, across 2 floors, and being open throughout the night from Wednesday to Sunday (I'm told it closes at 7a.m. ish, but am sure to have been here after that time).... it gets packed full of people from all walks of life - old and young, families, party people, some in full costumes... a great place to meet people too. It's very close to Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor, tucked down a little side street.

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  • Phone: 91-365-65-46

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    Puerta del Sol: The door to the sun!
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  • Updated By Zlur on January 15, 2004
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  • The semi circular junction of Plaza del Sol comprises of shops, bars and restaurants and serves as a great meeting point. This is where the statue of the bear can be found which is the symbol of Madrid, and just south of the bear you will find the statue of King Carlos III.
    The Puerta Del Sol is also known for being the point from where all distances are measured in Spain - you can always find out how far you are from Puerta del Sol!
    What I liked best about Puerta del Sol is that it has lots of side-streets all spread out around the square, some filled with busy cafes, some with shops, some with a never-ending choice of hostels, some with clubs....It's super, makes the centre very compact and easy to explore! =)

    Plaza Mayor is just a 5-minute walk away!

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  • Directions: Center

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    Puerta del Sol: Puerta del Sol
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  • A beautiful Square and the center of Madrid, The Sun Gate. There are huge and famous buildings around . A very busy area. You will find here the Post office, radial network, the statue of the bear and the madrono Tree, and the famous clock tower whose bells mark the traditional New Year's Eve celebrations.

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    Puerta del Sol: Nice buildings near Sol
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  • BBVA and Banesto buildings - Madrid
    BBVA and Banesto
    buildings
    by SirRichard
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    Near the Puerta del Sol, at the beginning of the Alcala Street, in front of the Regina Hotel, you can find these 2 beautiful buildings, with wonderful statues on top. Both are banks.

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  • Directions: From Sol, take Alcala Street and follow till the first corner.

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    Puerta del Sol: Symbol
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  • The bear and the arbutus - Madrid
    The bear and the arbutus
    by andal13
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    This sculpture represents a bear eating the fruits of an arbutus; it is the symbol of Madrid, and even the name of the city comes from the name of the plant in Spanish ("madroño"). It is situated at Puerta del Sol, the main square of Madrid.

    Esta estatua representa a un oso comiendo los frutos de un madroño; es el símbolo de Madrid, e incluso el nombre de la ciudad viene del nombre del arbusto. Está ubicado en la Puerta del Sol, la plaza principal de Madrid.

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    Puerta del Sol: Puerta del Sol - Statue of Carlos III
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  • Carlos III ( Charles III ) King of Spain 1759-1788. The statue was only erected in 1992, to honour him for the improvements he made in the city. For this reason earlier Madrilenos called him the Mayor of the city. The history of his life is written on the white plinth of the statue.

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    Puerta del Sol: Puerta del Sol - Kilometer Zero
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  • This paving slad located outside the Casa de Correos marks the point from whick all the roads radiating out from Madrid are measured. It could be said to be the center of Spain.
    I must admit I was a little disappointed at how small and insignificant it was, if it had not been pointed out to me I'm sure I would have missed it. It was also badly in need of renovation, over the years its been worn away by the feet of many tourists as myself.

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  • Directions: Outside the Casa de Correos (now a government building), Puerta del Sol.

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