If you only have one day to visit Madrid, the first thing to accept is that with just 24 hours in the capital it is difficult to get to know it, but it will at least give you a vague idea of the city historical center. As in any big city, each neighborhood is a different microworld, with its own attractions and people, but given the lack of time, it is necessary to stick to the A, B, C of the tourist in Madrid.
Prado Museum
Even if you only have one day to visit Madrid, you should dedicate a few hours to one of the great attractions of the city: its museums. In fact, any of the Paseo del Arte (the axis integrated by the Queen Sofia the Prado, the Prado and the Thyssen) would do, but visiting the Prado Museum is like having a good cashmere sweater, it is a timeless classic that always comforts.
As with the city, you won’t be able to see everything, so the easiest way is to take a map of the museum where the most relevant paintings stand out, such as Las Meninas by Velázquez, The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch, The Second of May 1808 by Goya or The Three Graces by Rubens and go straight to see them. To close the visit you will be fascinated by the central gallery of the Prado, but remember that you have little time and you have already seen the essentials.
Cibeles
The tree-lined path along the great avenue that is the Paseo del Prado leads to another icon of the city: La Cibeles. Perhaps you are familiar with it because Real Madrid celebrates its successes here, but in addition to being an illuminated traffic circle, it is an enclave surrounded by historic buildings. The main one is the Madrid City Hall, in the Palacio de Cibeles, there is also the Bank of Spain -if you are a Money Heist fan you will have already recognized it- and the Casa de América, in the always mysterious Linares Palace.
From here you have many options, continue towards Colón, or even go up to see the Puerta de Alcalá, another icon of the city and stroll along the Retreat although if you only have one day in Madrid it makes sense to take Alcalá street to Sol. On the way you’ll see the new Galerías Canalejas, and if it’s Christmas, they may have put up the huge tree that covers the Hermès store, which is one of the most beautiful in the city.
Puerta del Sol
The square that every generation of Madrilenians has seen transform and that nobody fully recognizes.
Kilometer Zero of the city (and of Spain) and commercial epicenter of Madrid. You may be disappointed, we don’t want to create great expectations, Puerta del Sol is study finds most disappointing tourist attraction but you have to see it, and sooner or later you will have to pass through here.
Plaza Mayor
A few meters away is the Plaza Mayor, with its classic square structure, very typical in Castile. Surrounded by cafes, stores and restaurants, and without making reference to the meme actually, the best thing to do is to sit down for a drink and enjoy the place.
And that something can be a squid sandwich because there is nothing better than appropriating the tourist label to do the most cliché things without any kind of complex.
From here you could leave through any of its doors and simply stroll through the streets to get to know the historic center of the city, but since time is tight, it is better to return the way you came. Once in Sol, take Montera street until the next stop.
Gran Vía
At the end of Montera and Gran Vía you will see the templete of the metro station that has recently been rebuilt. Just behind is the Telefonica Building, the first skyscraper in Europe and the one that shaped what is now Gran Via: a street built in the early twentieth century looking at the architecture of the new cities that were emerging in America then.
The backbone of the city, until the 90s of the last century it was brimming with stores that could only be found here, such as the one that repaired toys or the classic shoe stores.
It now has the stores you might find in a shopping mall and the big theaters in the city, where the musical in the image and likeness of Broadway. After Callao you have to continue downhill (in Madrid the slopes are continuous) until the last stop.
Plaza de España
The Plaza de España has also undergone a major transformation in recent years, making it more pedestrian and leaving a large central space, usually dedicated to markets or occasional events. There are two large buildings that are the conclusion of Gran Vía: the Edificio España, now occupied by a hotel, which is can climb to the roof and have a drink; and the Torre de Madrid, which has housing and offices.
With this you already have a picture of the busiest areas of the city, but if you want to see some of the real Madrid atmosphere without going too far you can go to Martín de los Heros street and have a beer and a tapa at one of the terraces of the Zone. With that you would have something close to the full tourist experience in the capital.