Plaza Mayor

The Plaza Mayor is the ceremonial heart of old Madrid, a vast rectangle of three-storey houses with uniform red façades, balconies and slate-spired towers, enclosed on all four sides and entered through nine arched gateways. Philip II moved his court to Madrid in 1561, and the town's old market square, the Plaza del Arrabal, was rebuilt as a monumental public space under his son Philip III, whose bronze equestrian statue stands in the centre; the square was officially opened in 1620. For centuries it was the city's great stage. Bullfights were held here, with the balconies rented out as boxes; kings were proclaimed, saints were canonised, plays were performed, and the Inquisition held its autos-da-fé before crowds of thousands. Fires repeatedly devastated the square, and after the great fire of 1790 the architect Juan de Villanueva rebuilt it, closing the corners and giving it the unified appearance it has today. The finest building is the Casa de la Panadería, the old bakers' guild house on the north side, whose façade is covered in colourful murals of mythological figures, painted in the 1990s to update earlier decoration; it houses the city's main tourist information centre. Opposite is the Casa de la Carnicería, the butchers' guild house. Under the arcades are old hat shops, souvenir stores and restaurants with terraces spilling onto the cobbles. The square is free, open at all hours, and is the natural starting point for exploring the Madrid of the Austrias, the old Habsburg quarter of narrow lanes, convents and palaces between the Puerta del Sol and the Royal Palace.

What to know: the terraces on the square are some of the most expensive and least authentic places to eat in Madrid, so have a coffee or a drink here for the view and the people-watching, and eat elsewhere. The one great exception is the bocadillo de calamares, a crusty roll stuffed with fried squid rings, a Madrid street-food classic sold in the bars just off the square, especially on the streets leading out of the southern side. Beneath the southwest corner, the Arco de Cuchilleros leads down a steep flight of steps to the Calle de Cuchilleros, lined with old taverns and the cave-like mesones that have served roast meats for centuries, including Sobrino de Botín, which claims to be the oldest restaurant in the world.

Seasons on the square: from late November until the end of December, the Plaza Mayor hosts Madrid's traditional Christmas market, with stalls selling nativity figurines, decorations and the joke wigs and hats that madrileños wear for New Year. On New Year's Eve the crowds gather nearby at the Puerta del Sol to eat twelve grapes at the twelve chimes of midnight. In May, during the San Isidro festivities for the city's patron saint, the square hosts concerts and dancers in traditional chulapo costume. Summer evenings bring street performers, and the square is lovely late at night, when the floodlit façades glow and the crowds thin.

How to use it: walk in through the Calle de Toledo or Calle Mayor gateways for the most dramatic first view, and stand in the centre to take in the full sweep of the balconies. Visit the tourist office in the Casa de la Panadería for maps and information. Then follow Calle Mayor west to the Mercado de San Miguel, two minutes away, the Plaza de la Villa with its old town hall, and on to the Almudena Cathedral and the Royal Palace. Heading south, the square leads into La Latina, with its tapas bars on Cava Baja and, on Sunday mornings, the Rastro flea market. The Plaza Mayor is not a sight to linger in for hours, but it is the hinge of old Madrid, and you will pass through it again and again.