Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor, Madrid: The Square You’ll Pass Through Twenty Times
Plaza Mayor occupies the centre of Habsburg Madrid, constructed between 1617 and 1619 under Philip III. The square is 129 metres by 94, enclosed on all sides by uniform red-brick buildings nine storeys high with 237 balconies facing inward. The equestrian statue of Philip III in the middle was cast in 1616 in Italy and has been on this spot since 1848.
The fresco-covered facade of the Casa de la Panadería (former royal bakery) on the north side is the most-photographed element. The current frescoes date to 1992, replacing and reinventing earlier decorative schemes.
What Actually Happens Here
Public executions happened here until the 19th century. Before that: bullfights, royal canonisations, trials of the Inquisition, market days. Today it’s primarily a resting point for tourists and an outdoor café area where the prices are inflated relative to anywhere else in Madrid.
The Christmas market (mid-December through early January) is the best reason to visit in winter: decorations, nativity figures, seasonal food. The square fills in a way that feels earned rather than staged.
Sunday mornings bring a coin and stamp market that takes over the southern arcades. More interesting than it sounds if you’re an early riser.
Eating Around the Square
The café chairs in Plaza Mayor will charge you €6 for a beer. Two minutes away the same beer costs €2.50. Walk south through the Cuchilleros arch to Cava de San Miguel and the streets immediately behind it for restaurants that serve Madrid food without the location premium.
Casa Botin on Cuchilleros 17 (a 10-minute walk) is in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s oldest restaurant (founded 1725). The suckling pig (cochinillo) is roasted in a wood-burning oven and is the thing to order. Dinner costs around €50-70 per head. Book ahead.
Taberna La Bola on Bola 5 (15 minutes north) does cocido madrileño (a chickpea and meat stew served in separate courses) that is the definitive version. Lunch only, roughly €25 per head.
For churros and chocolate: Chocolatería San Ginés on Pasadizo de San Ginés operates 24 hours and has been doing so since 1894.
What to See Nearby
The Mercado de San Miguel, just off the northwest corner of the square, is a covered iron-frame market from 1916. It now operates as an upscale food hall. Expensive but good for a single glass of vermouth and some jamón at a standing counter.
El Rastro, Madrid’s famous flea market, runs Sunday mornings on Ribera de Curtidores (15 minutes south by foot). Antiques, second-hand clothes, junk, occasional finds. Goes until 3pm; earlier is better.
El Prado is 20 minutes on foot east through the Retiro park. One of the world’s great art collections; Velázquez, Goya, El Bosco. Free after 6pm.
Staying Nearby
The Hotel Ritz Madrid (now Mandarin Oriental) on Plaza de la Lealtad is the historic luxury choice. Petit Palace Mayor on Calle Mayor is a decent mid-range option within the old city that puts you walking distance to everything in the centre. Rates around €100-150.
The neighbourhood between Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol (the area called Los Austrias) is the most centrally located base in Madrid. Noisy on weekend nights; bring earplugs.