Postcards have not gone out of fashion. Although the Internet offers all kinds of images of a city and its customs, many still maintain the tradition of taking a part of it on paper. In Madrid it is now possible to find a much more original alternative: artistic illustrations for only 1 euro.
The sheets collect all the emblematic places of Madrid: Puerta del Sol, Gran Vía, the Bear and the Strawberry Tree, Barajas airport or the famous metro stops. In addition, you can find iconic elements such as churros with chocolate, the squid sandwich, violet candies or even the Madrid balcony.
The initiative is called “El buzón de Madrid” and has several vending machines distributed throughout the city. All you have to do is insert a one-euro coin and you get one of these postcards at random.
Where to find the postcards
Currently, there are three premises that house these “El buzón de Madrid” postcard machines. In Calle del General Arrando, 16, in the heart of the Chamberí neighborhood, is the Cafetería Klare, where, in addition to specialty coffee, you can get these souvenirs.
Another address is the Avani Hotel, located just one minute away from the Alonso Martínez metro stop (metro line 4, 5 and 10), at 5 Santa Engracia Street. Finally, the closest option to Sol is the Kon Kafé Cafeteria, located at 4 Tetuán Street.
In all cases, it is advisable to check the opening hours of the establishments, as the vending machines are located inside.
An international model
Madrid is not the only city that offers this type of illustrations, as they can also be found in other metropolises such as London or New York. Its business model has become a tourist attraction and now the images of the Spanish capital are added to those of other parts of the world.
In addition, the same company of “El buzón de Madrid” has already expanded in Barcelona, as they show in their Instagram. Among their designs stand out the tiles, the facade of Casa Batlló or the urban grid of the city.
Special designs for Christmas
In the last few days, “El buzón de Madrid” has announced its new Christmas-themed postcards, which can be found in the machine of the Cafetería Kon Kafé (Calle de Tetuán, 4).
In them, the emblematic places such as Puerta del Sol or Plaza Mayor are maintained, but with elements typical of this season such as Christmas trees, an ice rink, Christmas markets and even fireworks to celebrate the New Year.