Spain’s capital, like its population, is relatively young. In medieval times, Madrid was just another village, but under several successive kings it transformed to a European capital. Today the country’s hub is the upbeat, vibrant home of more than 3 million people.
As the city grew, it made room for its newcomers with a sprawl of modern districts surrounding its fascinating, easy-to-navigate historic core. Today, Madrid feels orderly and welcoming. Massive urban-improvement projects — new parks, pedestrianized streets, and revamped transit — continue to make the city increasingly livable.
You’ll find wonderful car-free areas crossing the city from the Prado Museum to the Royal Palace. Strolling along the pedestrianized Calle de las Huertas or Calle del Arenal, you can see how the investment turned once-ramshackle zones into trendy ones. Posts were installed to keep cars off sidewalks, making the streets safer after dark, and old buildings were restored, helping to preserve the city’s grandeur and intimate charm.
Simply walking these car-free streets seems to be the way the Madrileños spend their evenings. On hot summer nights, entire families stroll the streets even past midnight — licking ice cream, greeting their neighbors, and enjoying beer and tapas in a series of bars. To join them, wander from Puerta del Sol, the lively central square, to the historic cobbled Plaza Mayor, or along the Calle de las Huertas, the pedestrianized street leading to the Prado.
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