2025 - April - Madrid

My ultimate tip for visitors to Madrid: A detour to the 360° Sky Bar of the Riu Hotel at Plaza de España. The view is truly breathtaking – and the glass balcony is the absolute highlight!

My recommendation: It’s best to arrive early! We were there at 11:30 AM, and it was already starting to fill up. Officially, the bar is open from 11 AM to 2 AM, but those who come later should expect longer waiting times and crowds. We were lucky and got in without waiting. According to reviews, there can be really long lines during peak times. Therefore, making a reservation through the website is highly advisable.

Admission: During the day, the visit costs 5 euros, in the evening (from around 6 PM) 10 euros.

I found the prices for drinks to be quite reasonable – especially considering it’s a higher category hotel. The waiters were friendly but, of course, consistently busy.

Back down at Plaza de España, a quick detour is well worth it: A popular monument is there, with a group of people always queuing for selfies. The reason: Don Quijote and Sancho Panza are part of the monument.

My next top tip is then easily accessible from here: the Templo de Debod. It originally comes from Egypt and used to stand by the Nile, about 15 km south of Philae. It was dismantled there and later reconstructed in Madrid true to the original. Visiting inside is possible, but it’s closed on Mondays and some public holidays. However, I found the site very impressive from the outside, even though I condemn such implementations of cultural heritage in today’s context.

But right next door, there is a really beautiful viewpoint overlooking Madrid!

From here, it’s great to continue on foot. On our walk, we took in the Palacio Real, the Plaza Mayor, and of course the Puerta del Sol, where the famous city symbol stands: The bear with the strawberry tree. Its rear has become quite polished from all the touching, even though it’s placed quite high up.

We also crossed the broad Gran Vía several times. It impresses with much architecture in the style of the founding era. And nearby is the delicatessen market Mercado de San Miguel.

Personally, I found parts of the city center a bit crowded. It was much more relaxed in Retiro Park, where you can take wonderful walks and even row a boat on a small lake.

What we unfortunately didn’t manage to do in the short time was visiting the various famous museums. But that will be on the agenda for next time.

One last piece of information:

Madrid, at 657 meters above sea level, is the highest capital in Europe. We did actually get a bit cold in April – we really didn’t expect that! Also, the city is quite centrally located in Spain, making it an ideal starting point if you want to explore more of the country.