Don’t Miss This in Madrid – from Churros and Chueca to the Royal Palace
Welcome to Madrid! One of the most attractive cities in Europe! Around 9 million people come here every year. And I’m here to find out why. I’m going to show you why Madrid is one of the best queer destinations in the world!
We’re also going to see a very popular place in the city – believe it or not, many people were executed here. We’ll have a look at how well the Madrileños, people from Madrid, deal with climate change. And I’ll give you a tip about where to eat in Madrid.
I will explore the center of the Spanish capital and many of the highlights here. And before I start, I will try: Churros! A traditional snack from Spain. It’s a mix of wheat flour, water and salt with hot chocolate! No need to worry about finding churros here.
There are plenty of churrerías in Madrid! Our first stop: Palacio Real de Madrid. The Royal Palace has more than 3,000 rooms and is over 135,000 square meters – one of the largest palaces in Europe! It was built in the 18th century in the baroque style.
It is the official residence of the King of Spain. María Verdú from the Royal Palace communications team is showing me around. Oh my God, look at this! We continue to the official antechamber. Another color here. Isn’t it cool that this is open to the public? Next stop:
Not far from Palacio Real is another beautiful highlight of Madrid: Plaza Mayor, which also has a dark past. On this square, torture, executions and public punishments took place during the Spanish Inquisition. Luckily, these times are long gone.
Plaza Mayor was inaugurated in 1620 and it is believed to be a place where bullfights were held until the mid-19th century. Today it is a symbol of the city and a must-see. Its arcades house many traditional bars and restaurants.
Some of the most notable buildings on the square are the Casa de la Panadería, with a frescoed facade, and Casa de la Carnicería. One of the things that I love about Madrid is that this huge capital is also a green city.
I’m visiting El Retiro park, known as the lung of Madrid. And it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It spans 125 hectares and has over 15,000 trees. And it helps to maintain the temperature in the city. Depending on the time of year, it can be 1 or 2 degrees cooler here
Than elsewhere in Madrid. And temperatures can be over 40 degrees Celsius! This is definitely a place to visit in summer. El Retiro park is also home to another highlight of Madrid: Palacio de Cristal. This impressive glass and iron structure was built in 1887 as a greenhouse.
Today, it hosts rotating art exhibitions. But the park isn’t the only thing that makes Madrid green: 80% of madrileños commute to work by public transport, on foot or bicycle. Plus, hughe areas of the city center are now car-free. Time for our next stop.
Madrid is also known as an LGBTQ destination. And to know more about that, I came to Chueca – Madrid’s gay neighborhood. Chueca is the heart of Madrid Pride Festival and a meeting point for the gay and queer community. It is filled with bars, clubs, shops, and more.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Spain since 2005, by the way. I’m meeting Enrique Áex, an LGTBQ+ activist who lives in Chueca. We head to a special place in Chueca: Berkana, which is known as the first queer bookstore of Spain.
It opened in the 90s and offers novels, biographies, poetry and magazines with information of every kind for the LGTBQ+ community. It’s been a long day and I’m hungry! So we’ll head up to Mercado San Antón, also located in Chueca.
Here you can find all kinds of tapas and much more. The good thing is that it’s open until midnight. I’m trying a mix of octopus and tuna tapas. And some fried bacon. So, guys, if you come to Madrid, come with more time.
Because one day is definitely not enough to see the city. I missed fantastic museums and many, many attractions. Hasta la próxima!
Madrid is one of the most visited cities in Europe and a popular travel destination for the LGBTQAI+-Community. The Spanish capital also boasts spectacular architecture, delicious cuisine and a relaxed, inclusive atmosphere. Diana Piñeros shows you how to get the very best out of a day in Munich: from the Royal Palace and the Plaza Mayor, to the queer-friendly Chueca neighborhood.
00:00 Intro
00:32 Churros
00:53 The Royal Palace of Madrid
02:22 Plaza Mayor
03:12 Retiro Park with Palacio de Cristal
04:20 Chueca district, Madrid’s queer neighborhood
04:44 Meeting @enriquealex
06:46 San Anton food market
CREDITS:
Report: Diana Piñeros
Camera and Editing: Neven Hillebrands
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