Madrid, Spain - June 2018: Royal palace in center of Madrid
1937224282
attraction, culture, building, capital, classic, de, destination, european, evening, exterior, famous, historic, historical, king, landmark, national, nobody, outdoor, palacio, park, place, plaza, real, royal, sabatini, scenic, spanish, square, view
Royal Palace also called Palacio Real in center of Madrid, Spain

Getty Images

Palacio Real

Top choice in Madrid


Spain's jewel-box Palacio Real is used only occasionally for royal ceremonies; the royal family moved to the modest Palacio de la Zarzuela years ago.

When the alcázar (Muslim fortress) burned down in 1734, Felipe V, the first of the Bourbon kings, decided to build a palace that would dwarf all its European counterparts. Felipe died before the palace was finished, which is perhaps why the Italianate baroque colossus has a mere 2800 rooms, just one-quarter of the original plan.

The official tour (self-guided tours are also possible and follow the same route) leads through 50 of the palace rooms, which hold a good selection of Goyas, 215 absurdly ornate clocks, and five Stradivarius violins still used for concerts and balls. The main stairway is a grand statement of imperial power, leading to the Halberdiers' rooms and to the sumptuous Salón del Trono (Throne Room), with its crimson-velvet wall coverings and Tiepolo ceiling. Shortly after, you reach the Salón de Gasparini, with its exquisite stucco ceiling and walls resplendent with embroidered silks.

Outside the main palace, visit the Farmacia Real at the southern end of the patio known as the Plaza de la Armería (Plaza de Armas). Westwards across the plaza is the Armería Real, a shiny collection of weapons and armour, mostly dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Madrid attractions

1. Armería Real

0.08 MILES

Part of the Palacio Real, the Armería Real showcases weapons and striking suits of armour, mostly dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.

4. Farmacia Real

0.1 MILES

The Farmacia Real, at the southern end of the Plaza de la Armería courtyard inside the Palacio Real compound, contains a formidable collection of medicine…

5. Plaza de Ramales

0.11 MILES

This pleasant little triangle of open space is not without historical intrigue. Joseph Bonaparte ordered the destruction of the Iglesia de San Juanito to…

6. Iglesia de San Nicolás de los Servitas

0.12 MILES

Tucked away up the hill from Calle Mayor, this intimate little church is Madrid’s oldest surviving building of worship; it may have been built on the site…

7. Plaza de Oriente

0.13 MILES

This graceful square is one central Madrid's most beautiful, home as it is to a royal palace that once had aspirations to be the Spanish Versailles,…

8. Palacio del Duque de Uceda

0.13 MILES

Just down the hill from Plaza de la Villa is the 18th-century baroque remake of the Palacio del Duque de Uceda. Now used as a military headquarters (the…