As always, compiling a list of recommendations to share when someone asks me about planning a trip to Madrid. 

Hotel

• Stay in Puerta del Sol
  • Good, central location and easy to walk everywhere (or hop a metro) 

Things to Do

• La Gran Via
  • Shopping street
• Retiro Park
  • Huge park that previously belonged to the Spanish monarchy 
• Prado National Art Museum
  • They have free admission hours every day, check when that is if you’re planning to go
• See Flamenco dancers
  • We went to Tablao Flamenco La Quimera, which also served dinner  
• Visit Plaza dos de Mayo (to people watch)

Food and Drink

• San Gines
  • The oldest/best churro spot in the world
• We ate Christmas dinner at Castizo, which is part of “Grupo Carbon” restaurants. Check out their website for a list of the upscale, trendy restaurants they own. 

Misc.

• It’s a flat $30 taxi ride to/from the airport

The Sagrada Familia is a Roman Catholic Church that has been under construction for over 140 years and is still in the works. We did a whole unit about this church in high school Spanish class, so it was surreal to be able to see it in person. I’ve been to a lot of churches over here and I can say that this one is truly top tier. I got chills when I entered and the play on light, color, and reflection is stunning.

The Sagrada Familia that we see today is designs of Antoni Gaudí. His goal was to present the life of Jesus and the history of faith. The 18 towers of the church are dedicated to important biblical figures (12 of them represent the apostles, 4 the evangelists, one the Virgin Mary and the highest of them all represents Jesus Christ).

The Construction Board hopes to finish the church in 2026, as this will mark 100 years since Gaudí’s death. However, locals seem confident this date will also get pushed back, like it has been many times before.

When it’s complete, the Sagrada Familia will be the highest building in Barcelona and the highest church in the world.

Park Guell (1923), designed by Antoni Gaudi, is a massive park in Barcelona that features beautiful greenery and interesting architecture. It’s one of the largest green spaces in Barcelona.

Originally a rich entrepreneur, Eusebi Guel, commissioned Gaudi to build a luxury residential complex, but the project was abandoned, and Gaudi created this park instead.

In typical Gaudi style, Park Guell was designed to mimic natural formations and he uses lines and curves that mimic the surrounding mountains, trees, and rocks. Gaudi and his family actually moved into one of the houses in the park and lived there until his death in 1926.

Today the park hosts 12 million tourists every year.

Antoni Gaudí (1852 – 1926) is a Spanish architect and designer that’s a universal figure in modern architecture – particularly Catalan Modernism. You can see many of his designs around Spain, and specifically Barcelona.

His unique style sets him apart, and he broke all the established rules with his curved lines, mosaics, and bright colors. Gaudi’s use of color, texture, and free flowing elements show his use of symbolism and respect for nature. If you see Gaudi’s work, you just know it’s his.

In 1870 he moved to Barcelona to go to school for architecture. When he got his degree, the school’s director is quoted saying, “I do not know if we have awarded this degree to a madman or to a genius; only time will tell.”

Gaudí received many commissions and was working a lot, most notably on Park Güell and the Church of the Sagrada Familia. Throughout this time, he began distancing himself from the social/party scene and became more reclusive and interested in religion.

Sadly, Gaudí died in June 1926 after being killed by a tram while on his way to the Sagrada Família. Two days later he was buried in that very church. Most of the citizens of Barcelona came to pay their respects to “the most universal architect that the city had ever known.”