My pick
My tip“Best time: early morning for the Royal Palace (book in advance) and sunset in the palace gardens. Mercado de San Miguel and the area around it are dominated by ham, so choose seafood or head to Lavapiés for halal food. Heavy tourist crowds and many pickpockets in the Plaza Mayor.”
Madrid of the Habsburgs (the Austrians) in the 16th and 17th centuries, with the Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral. Beneath this quarter lie the remains of the Islamic wall of Mayrit, the oldest trace in the city. This is the classic image of imperial Madrid.
What to see
The Plaza Mayor · the Royal Palace and the Jardines de Sabatini · the Catedral de la Almudena · the Islamic wall on Cuesta de la Vega · Plaza de Oriente and the Opera · the Mercado de San Miguel
Address
Plaza Mayor