Círculo de Bellas Artes Rooftop

If you go up to only one rooftop in Madrid, make it this one. The Círculo de Bellas Artes is a private cultural institution founded in the nineteenth century, and its headquarters, a monumental building completed in the 1920s at the junction of Calle de Alcalá and the start of the Gran Vía, is one of the landmarks of the city centre. Inside are exhibition halls, a theatre, a cinema, a ballroom and the famous ground-floor café, La Pecera, with its chandeliers and big windows on to the street. The building is crowned by a bronze statue of Minerva, goddess of wisdom and the arts, by the sculptor Juan Luis Vassallo, which has been the institution's emblem since its founding. Next to her, about fifty-six metres above the street, is the rooftop terrace. A glass lift takes you up from the lobby, and when you step out the view opens in every direction: the domed Metrópolis building with its winged figure in the foreground, the full sweep of the Gran Vía with its early twentieth-century towers, the Plaza de Cibeles and the white Palacio de Cibeles, the Retiro's trees, and, on clear days, the Guadarrama mountains on the horizon. It is one of the most photographed views in Spain, and also one of the most useful for understanding the shape of the city. Entry to the rooftop is by a small ticket, which gives you access to the terrace; the café-restaurant on top, La Azotea, serves drinks and food, but the ticket does not guarantee a table, and at sunset, it fills quickly. The rooftop stays open late into the night, which makes it a good first or last stop on an evening out. Back downstairs, check the programme for exhibitions, film seasons and talks, as the Círculo remains one of the liveliest cultural centres in the city.

Timing and tickets: the rooftop opens from morning until well after midnight, with later closing on Friday and Saturday nights, and last entry about an hour before closing. Tickets can be bought online or at reception, which only sells them at certain hours, so buying online is the simplest option. The busiest time by far is the hour around sunset, especially from spring to autumn, when queues for the lift can be long and every table is taken. For photography and a calmer experience, go in the morning or early afternoon, when the light is good on the Gran Vía and the crowds are thin. For atmosphere, go after dark, when the city lights up and the Metrópolis dome glows below you. Schedules sometimes change for private events, so check before you go.

Making the most of it: walk the full circuit of the terrace before settling down, because the best views shift as you move from the Gran Vía side to the Cibeles side. Drinks on the terrace are priced for the view; if you only want the panorama, you can take your photos and leave. Consider pairing the visit with an exhibition downstairs or a coffee in La Pecera, one of the most elegant cafés in Madrid. The rooftop is open-air, so it can be windy and cold in winter, and very hot in the afternoon in summer.

Who it suits: first-time visitors who want a single, unforgettable overview of the city; couples looking for a sunset or late-night drink with a view; and nightlife lovers starting or ending an evening around the Gran Vía. Families are welcome during the day, though the drinks scene dominates in the evening. Pair it with a walk along the Gran Vía, the Plaza de Cibeles and the CentroCentro viewpoint, the Thyssen museum a few minutes away, or a flamenco show at Torres Bermejas on the other side of the Gran Vía.