Madrid as a city claims a unique spot for landmarks existing in the city, mostly of them as gateways. These landmarks disclose rich historical culture and background of the city and shows up some glimpses of architectural excellence that exits in these landmarks. Some of rich landmarks culturally have been briefed as below:
• Prado Museum: It is a museum as well as an art gallery situated in Madrid, the capital of Spain. It is a collection of one of the finest European art as collected from 12th century to early 19th century. It is themed upon Spanish Royal collections. It has nearly more than 5,000 drawings, 2,000 prints, 1,000 coins and meals and around 2,000 decorative works of art and sculpture. El Prado is the most visited and admired sites in Madrid and counted among the greatest museums of art in the world. It has best collection of Spanish painting including finest works of Diego Velázquez, Francisco Goya, El Greco, Bartolomé Estéban Murillo, Jusepe de Ribera, Francisco de Zurbarán, and other leading Spanish masters of painting.
• Plaza Mayor: It is a central square in Madrid Spain is it situated away from another popular plaza Puerta del Sol close to it. It is rectangular in shape and measures 129 meters by 94 meters. The Casa de la Panadería, serving municipal and cultural functions is the prominent activity at Plaza Mayor. Variety of activities gets organized over here like markets, bullfights, soccer games, public executions. It also has ring of old and traditional shops and cafes under its porticoes. It is now a center of major tourist attraction and is visited by thousands tourists in a year.
• Royal Pantheon, Palace & Monastery of El Escorial: It is a historical residence of king of Spain. It is one of the notable Spanish royal sites which work as a monastery, royal palace, museum and school. It is situated around 45 kilometers northwest of the Spanish capital in the Town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. It comprises two architectural complexes of huge historical and cultural importance El Real Monasterio de El Escorial itself and La Granjilla de La Fresneda, a royal hunting lodge and monastic retreat nearly five kilometres away from there.
• Reina Sofía Museum: The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS) this is given official name to Spain’s national museum of 20th century art. The museum was officially inaugurated on September 10th 1992 and was named after the name of Queen Sofia of Spain. It is situated close to Atocha train and metor stations close to Madrid near the Atocha train and metro stations. This museum is primarily is dedicated to Spanish and has collection of the two greatest 20th century Master of Arts, Pablo Picass and Salvador Dali. The museum has collection of art works of Juan Gris, Joan Miró, Julio González, Eduardo Chillida, Antoni Tàpies, Pablo Gargallo, Pablo Serrano, Lucio Muñoz, Luis Gordillo, Jorge Oteiza, José Gutiérrez Solana and many other significant artists.
• Royal Palace of Madrid: The Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace of Madrid) is understood to be the Palacio de Oriente and is official residence of the King of Spain in the city of Madrid and come in use for public use even only in the case of state Ceremonies. Palace is there situated under the Spanish State and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional that is a public agency of the Ministry of the Presidency. It is situated on Bailén Street, in the Western part of downtown Madrid, East of the Manzanares River and one can easily access it from the Opera metro station.
• Retiro Park: Also named as Park of the Pleasant Retreat or rather El Retiro, the “Lungs of Madrid” it is the main park of the city of Madrid and is situated at the edge of the city center in a close precinct to Puerta de Alcalá and not far from the Prado Museum. It is a magnificent park decorated with aesthetically sculptured monuments and galleries, a peaceful lake and lot of other events and is premier attractions.
• Carrión Building in the Gran Vía: It is a well decorated and world class shopping street situated in central Madrid. It runs from Calle de Alcala and is near to Plaza de Espana. The market place is also known for its grand architecture as prevailing around its building along with large hotels and big movie theatres. Now most of its theatres are replaced by shopping malls. It exhibits early 20th century architecture with forms like Vienna Secession style, Plateresque, Neo-Mudéjar, Art Deco and others.
• Thyssen Museum: The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, or in Spanish Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, is an art museum situated close to the Prado Museum in Madrid and known to be “Golden Triangle of Art”, having Prado and the Reina Sofia galleries its parts with exhibits like Impressionists, Expressionists, and European and American paintings from the second half of the 20th century, which counts around to 1,600 paintings.
• Goya’s Pantheon at San Antonio de la Florida: At this place remains of the renowned Spanish artist Francisco de Goya are buried in a tomb within a hermitage dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua named as “La Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida”. Goya died in exile in Bordeaux in 1828, and his mortal remains were finally put to rest in this small chapel. Bur to one’s curiosity the Goya’s head was missing though stolen in last century for phrenological studies
• Royal Fine Arts Academy Museum: It is one of the oldest museums in Europe and it is one of its types in entire Europe. It was discovered in 1663 by David Teniers, the Younger, painter to the Archduke Leopold Wilhelm and Don Juan of Austria. He was an authoritative agency and master of the Guild of St Luke that embraced arts and some handicrafts and petitioned Philip IV of Spain.