Madrid Royal Palace and Almudena Cathedral Guided Tour

The tour starts at the main office of Fun and Tickets, located at Calle Mayor, 43

Puerta del Sol is a square in the Spanish city of Madrid. It has been home to the so-called Zero Kilometer of the country's radial roads since 1950. The oldest building in Puerta del Sol is the Casa de Correos and it highlights the tower clock that was built and donated in the 19th century by José Rodríguez de Losada. Puerta del Sol is a meeting place, a crossing point between different parts of Madrid. It is a must visit for those who come to Madrid.

Calle del Arenal is a popular historical road in Madrid, which connects Puerta del Sol and Plaza de Isabel II (Ópera) . Its name comes from the primitive stream that ran along its layout before the area was developed, with the one that appears already labeled in the plan of Teixeira of 1656, as well as in the successive cartographies of the Villa of Madrid.

Plaza de Isabel II (better known as Plaza de Ópera) is an open space between the neighborhoods of Sol and Palacio, in the central district of Madrid, with Calle del Arenal coming from Puerta del Sol, and dedicated minor roads. to Arrieta, Campomanes, Caños del Peral, Escalinata and Vergara. Formed by filling the ravine created by the Arenal stream and the fountains of the Caños del Peral, the square occupies part of the site where the old Teatro de los Caños del Peral was between 1738 and 1817.

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the King of Spain; However, the current kings do not live in it, but in the Zarzuela Palace, so it is used for state ceremonies and solemn acts. Now is when our visit really begins.

You will visit next to the Royal Palace, the Almudena Cathedral built where the Church of Santa María de la Almudena used to be, which was in turn built on a mosque and dedicated to the Virgen de la Almudena, patron saint of Madrid. The name of this virgin and cathedral derive from the Arabic word al-mudayna, which means "citadel". The cathedral is located in the historic center of the city of Madrid; the main façade is in front of the Royal Palace, while the transept façade faces Calle de Bailén and access to the crypt is via the Cuesta de la Vega, at the end of Calle Mayor. Unlike most Christian temples, which are oriented east-west, the cathedral has a north-south orientation, the result of its conception as an integral part of the Royal Palace complex.