Plaza Mayor, Center, Madrid

What a lovely place. Madrid doesn’t have a nice river like Paris, but it does have a lovely old square. Plaza Mayor has shops all around it, cafes all over it, and tourists everywhere. The cafes are pretty stupidly expensive, but that’s what you pay for such beautiful surroundings. It’s a wonderful place for a walk and an evening drink, and it’s easy to get to and find. Definitely one of Madrid’s main attractions, if you ask me.

The square itself is very nice, there are lots of little shops and human statues, but the restaurants are very expensive, when you can go down a side street and get it for half the price, Whilst i was there they had a quantum of Solace event set up and had birds of prey flying aournd which was a nice touch. I went on a school trip, and we were dropped of here most days for lunch, however some days the lure of mcdonalds down the road was too Strong! It is a nice square and is a nice place to sit and take a rest but as i said i would also recommend moving on before you sit down for something to Eat.

Yes, it’s touristy and you should not eat and drink here, but you should pass through it at least once. As one of the other re-viewers has pointed out, there are some great bars and restaurants off some of the side streets which are worth checking out.

There are often open air concerts and displays here in summer for free which are well worth attending.

Huge central space in Madrid off the Calle Mayor, this is where everyone touristy goes. There is an information centre which provides lots of helpful information and free 15 minute internet slots for those all important facebook updates.
There are lots of very nice, very expensive touristy shops in the cloisters of the square, full of leicester square style tat, but perhaps the most important reason to visit the square is all the little squares and streets that spin off it to the south, where you can find better, cheaper restaurants and bars.

A good place to stroll through and watch people from Madrid and away talking, having a beer on the terrazas, miming, feeding pigeons, whatever people do in big European cities. The 16th-17th c. Renaissance style is a bit austere, but the people populating it at all hours liven it up considerably. It’s been used for many things, including bullfights and activities of the Inquisition, although the origins of the square are from the 15th century, when it was the main market area of the villa of Madrid and was known as the Plaza del Arrabal. The statue in the middle is of Felipe III and is from 1848.

http://www.guiaturisticamadrid.com/plaza_mayor.htm

http://www.madrid-guide-spain.com/plaza-mayor.html