Built for walking, Madrid’s compact, grid-like city center; pedestrian-friendly streets; and shaded sidewalks make it easy to explore on foot. Wide boulevards showcase belle époque facades, and tucked-away alleyways reveal buzzing restaurants serving local delicacies. Rooftops tell their own stories, some adorned with statues of gods and warriors and others with sunbaked locals sipping café con leche.
Any walking itinerary in the area takes no more than 20 minutes for an accessible and unique experience that uncovers lesser-known places, and happens to be a more eco-friendly way to visit, too. This route winds through Madrid’s past and present—its mythological guardians, architectural standouts, UNESCO sites, and open-air hangouts—one step at a time.
Spot famous statues above Gran Vía
Madrid’s famous Gran Via at sunset
Courtesy of Madrid City Tourism
Gran Vía is Madrid’s Broadway, lined with shops and carved through the old city to make way for modernization in the early 1900s. Look past the theaters and department stores, and you’ll notice something unusual. Many of the most striking features perch above the street with statues of mythological figures and animals adorning rooftops and ledges.
Diana the Huntress stands poised on the Hyatt Centric Gran Vía, bow drawn as if aiming at the clouds above. Order a cocktail at the hotel’s rooftop bar, El Jardín de Diana, and she’ll practically join you for a drink. Across the street, the Phoenix statue perches on the Madrid-Paris Building, wings spread in stone, frozen mid-flight. And then there’s Atlas, eternally struggling under the weight of the world on the NH Collection Madrid Gran Vía roof, overlooked by most who pass beneath but perfectly visible from the hotel’s Picalagartos Sky Bar & Restaurant.
Visit landmarks by architect Antonio Palacios
Diana the Huntress atop Gran Via in Madrid
Courtesy of Madrid City Tourism
Madrid wouldn’t look the way it does without Antonio Palacios. The city’s most celebrated architect left his fingerprint on everything from palatial civic buildings to metro stations.
His Círculo de Bellas Artes, a cultural hub that still hosts exhibitions and film screenings, is also home to Azotea, one of the best rooftops in town (and also serving food and drinks). Head up for a panoramic view from the rooftops of Malasaña to the distant peaks of the Sierra de Guadarrama. Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, also stands on the rooftop’s edge, surveying the city like a watchful guardian. A short walk away, Palacio de Cibeles (once a post office, now the seat of Madrid’s city government) looms over its namesake fountain, a bustling traffic circle where Real Madrid fans celebrate victories.
Walk the UNESCO-listed Landscape of Light
The rooftop at Círculo de Bellas Artes
Courtesy of Madrid City Tourism
Designed for strolling, the Paseo del Prado is a cultural corridor, a green spine running through the city, and lined with institutions that define Madrid’s intellectual and artistic heritage. The Museo del Prado holds the works of Spanish masters, from Goya’s dark visions to Velázquez’s royal portraits. The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum fills in the gaps, connecting the old world to the new with impressionists and abstract pioneers. At the Reina Sofía, Picasso’s Guernica still stops visitors in their tracks.
The Paseo del Prado is about more than museums—this boulevard is also home to the Royal Botanical Garden. In this 18th-century oasis, tropical palms and ancient bonsai trees grow in neatly curated yet organic displays. At the end of the walk sits the Royal Astronomical Observatory, founded in 1790 to map the stars and still open to curious minds today.
The Museo del Prado houses iconic Spanish art.
Courtesy of Madrid City Tourism
Unwind in Madrid’s iconic Parque de El Retiro
The grand finale isn’t a monument or a museum—it’s a park. Parque de El Retiro is the city’s breathing room, where mornings belong to joggers and tai chi practitioners; afternoons to bookworms and guitar players. Palacio de Cristal, a delicate iron-and-glass structure built in 1887 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, catches the sunlight and reflects it onto the pond below, where turtles sunbathe on half-submerged logs. Nearby, rowboats glide across the main lake, a scene seemingly unchanged for generations. The park’s winding paths lead to secret gardens, forgotten sculptures, and impromptu performances from street musicians. It’s the perfect place to do nothing at all, which, in Madrid, is an art form itself.
The Palacio de Cristal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Parque de El Retiro
Courtesy of Madrid City Tourism
Plan your walking tour with VisitMadridGPT
Madrid’s AI-powered virtual assistant, VisitMadridGPT, offers customized recommendations to help you navigate the city’s rooftops, statues, and UNESCO landmarks. Whether you want to uncover hidden corners or find the perfect bar for sunset, let VisitMadridGPT guide you on your next adventure. Check out Visit Madrid’s Facebook and Instagram for more information and inspiration.
