 Puerta del Sol in Madrid, Spain by Jefie | Puerta del Sol tips and photos posted by real travelers and Madrid locals.
The "center" of Madrid
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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. Leave a Comment
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In Madrid, all roads seem to lead to the Puerta del Sol - or rather, they all start from there, as indicated by the KM 0 sign on the pavement. Because it is such a central location, Sol makes for a great meeting point and a nice place to start exploring the city. There isn't that much to do besides looking around and taking pictures, and yet the place is always teeming with people and activity, which makes for a fun atmosphere.
I think most people will agree that the nicest building around the Puerta del Sol is the "Casa de Correos", dating back to the 17th century. On New Year's Eve, Madrileños gather around the Casa de Correos with 12 grapes, which they eat as the building's clock chimes, thus turning the Puerta del Sol into Madrid's Times Square. Also, while you're there don't forget to look for the statue of "El Oso y El Madroño" (the bear and the strawberry tree), which is the symbol of the city of Madrid. Leave a Comment Directions: Metro "Sol"
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 Here's the queue for this
place on a fiesta day... by mollymoo0oo0, 4 more photos
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. Leave a Comment Phone: 91-365-65-46
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 The hub of Madrid by scottishvisitorLeave a Comment
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 Kilometer zero by nhcram
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. Leave a Comment
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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. Leave a Comment
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From Rafaelhoteles Atocha, VT members Santi (Redang) took us for a walk to Puerta del Sol. It was a nice walk. We passed the Atocha station, Centro Reina Sofia National Museum, Caixa Forum Madrid Cultural Centre, Botanical Garden, and Prado Museum. Before we got to Sol we decided to have a Tapas lunch, then we continued on.
When we arrived the first thing I saw of Puerta del Sol was the statue of Carlos III, the hustle and bustle, the commuters running toward Sol metro station, the Japanese tourist following the tour director carrying a flag, red roofless tourist bus, the blind busker with Labrador dog, police patrolling on foot. It was a busy sight. The ambiences were definitely electrifying.
We are now standing in the heart of Madrid historic square of Puerta del Sol. It is the starting point for us as tourist to take photos of the bustling activities. In Sol you will find many great shops, restaurant, café, hotels, and the twenty ton statue Bear eating strawberry fruit (Madrono), Kilometre Zero. You will see the old 18th century Post Office with the clock tower. I’ve heard from the grapevine at New Year the Madrid people consume 12 grapes for 12 wishes whilst listening to the countdown from the clock bell. They have to consume one grape per second, luckily for the Madrilènes it’s not orange they have to consume.
The Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor and Royal Theatre are close walking distance from Puerta del Sol square.
In May 2nd and 3rd 1808 the famous uprising against the French happened in the square when Madrid’s people fought against Napoleon soldiers and many died. Today protesters are still using the square to rallies and protests against violence and war.
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 Puerta del Sol by Zlur
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! Leave a Comment Directions: Center
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This is the very center of Madrid, and it's usually packed with people. Because of this it is very common to find lots of people (usually inmigrants) trying to sale pirate DVDs and CDs, rip off accessories and things like that. Also there are many beggars around that area. Still don't let this get in the way of visiting the square. There you can find the famous Clock that all of Spain is watching to follow the countdown to the New Year. You will also find plenty of Souvenir shops in the area if you wish to get something from the city. Leave a Comment
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 Symbol of Madrid by Birsen
The Puerta del Sol is the geographical centre of Spain. There is a stone slab which marks Kilometer zero. it is outside the Casa de Correos.
Plaza Mayor is just a 5-minute walk away!
It is a very busy square and is a popular meeting point for people. Leave a Comment
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