r/Europetravel • u/Icy-Obligation6504 • Mar 31 '26
Trip report Madrid: First time in Spain. Long walks around the city
Did a long stroll around Madrid one afternoon and it ended up being one of my favourite parts of my first Spain trip. Talked about my new found love of walking in another post and people were so in sync with that. So decided to post the favorite one.
Started around El Retiro / Prado side and then just kept going past Reina Sofia, through Anton Martin & Lavapies, further across towards the San Francisco el Grande side. Ended near Palos de la Frontera.
El Retiro was definitely one of the highlights. It’s the kind of place that feels worth visiting even if you do nothing except walk around slowly for a while. It’s huge, full of trees, and just has a really relaxed feel to it. Even in a chilly weather I loved it, so I can only imagine how nice it must be in spring or summer.
San Francisco el Grande also stood out a lot. Going inside was fully worth it - the dome is incredible, and the whole place just feels very grand and quiet in a way that stays with you.
The whole walk felt good. Some parts were busier and more grand around the museum side, and then other parts felt more everyday and local, which is usually the bit I enjoy most when travelling anyway. Ended up being around 6km, and somehow it never really got boring.
2
u/Lopsided_Profile_614 Apr 01 '26
I live in Madrid and I live close to San Francisco grande. when I started living in the center, I walked every where. it truly is the best way to discover old Madrid and it made me fall in love with Madrid, especially la Latina, the parks like parque de la cornisa, or the park at temple debod, there's also markets to wander into like mercado de mostenses, mercado de Anton Martin, and I always just love a good wander.
2
u/pinetree_beachboy Apr 02 '26
Wow! Those are amazing places! I’m considering going to Madrid in my Europe trip and this is a good way to explore the place!
1
u/randburg Apr 01 '26
Sounds like you really got to experience the city! Walking is a great way to see both the main sights and local life.
1
1
1
u/Intelligent_Table913 Apr 05 '26
Great pics! How many days did you spend in Madrid? Did you take day trips to Segovia or Toledo? How is the weather right now? I was planning to go in July but flight tickets jumped up in price and it's super hot
1
2
u/YinzerInEurope Mar 31 '26
What app is that? Some sort of sightseeing one?