The statue of El Oso y El Madroño (the bear and Madroño tree) was infront of the Real Casa de Correos at the centre of the country but was moved back to its original place to the east of the plaza. This is Madrid's most famous and most central square, located just a short walk from thePlaza Mayor. Originally it was the site of one of the city's gates, which faced the east and was adorned with an image of the sun, hence the square's name. The area remains active late into the night and early morning since nearby bars and dance clubs often only start entertainment at 1 am.
An image of the sun was also showcased on the gate inself, helping to solidify Puerta del Sol as the name of the square. Read more about the top 6 things to see within Madrid’s Puerta del Sol. The Oso & Madroño is the official symbol of the city although with an unclear origin - it seems that there used to be many bears in the fields around Madrid although the original symbol was supposed to be a female bear . And the strawberry tree seems to be have actually been a hackberry tree , which was once in abundance around Madrid. The sign has enjoyed its fair share of changes, but its popularity became more obvious in 2011, when it was taken down as the original building was being refurbished. After a three-year absence, the sign was re-lit at number 11 Puerta del Sol in May 2014.
Choose from world-famous tourist attractions and landmarks, top free activities and fun things to do in Puerta del Sol. Discover famous cities, beach resorts, islands and countryside with recommendations on must-see places and sightseeing tips. Located in the heart of Madrid, on a pedestrian street with views of the Puerta del Sol and next to the Gran Vía, Hotel El Mirador de la Puerta del Sol occupies a privileged spot in the Spanish capital. The Kilómetro Cero was the starting point of the six main roads in Spain in the 18th century. It’s also the starting reference point for the house numbers in Madrid. That is to say, that house number 1 on any given road in Madrid is always at the end nearest to the Puerta del Sol.
Originally the site of one of the city’s gates, Puerta del Sol should be at the top of your list of places to visit. Sitting atop the Casa de Correos building, the current headquarters of the Madrid regional government, you’ll find the famous clock that all eyes turn to on the last day of the year. For over a century now tradition has it that people across the country usher in the New Year by eating 12 lucky grapes to the twelve chimes of midnight struck by this clock. This bustling square located bang in the centre of Madrid is one of the city’s most famous sites. With its semi-circular shape, it is a junction for many of the city’s historical and busiest streets such as Mayor, Arenal, Alcalá and Preciados, as well as the starting point for all major radial roads in Spain. The statue is of a bear climbing a fruit tree and eating strawberries from its branches.
Despite once being the meeting point of the six major radial roads of Spain, in 2020 the square was pedestrianized and closed to most traffic. Exceptions are made for supplies to shops, emergency services and blood donation campaigns. On the other side of the square, at the start of Calle Arenal which leads to the Teatro Real opera house, stands a copy of La Mariblanca statue. The original, which dates back to the 17th century and once adorned a fountain in this very spot, is now stored in Casa de la Villa. Puerta del Sol’s third and largest statue is found in the centre of the square and depicts King Charles III of Spain on horseback. During his reign, the monarch introduced so many progressive reforms and gave the city such a makeover that he earned the moniker Madrid’s best mayor.
Links to this church date back to the ninth century, while there appears to have existed a hermitage sited here in the 13th century, eventually rebuilt in its current form in the 17th century. The temple is dedicated to St. Genesius of Arlés, the patron saint of notaries and secretaries. The church keeps on display a stuffed crocodile, belived to have originated from the Americas as a gift for the Catholic kingsand queens of the empire. Side streets close to the square also contain residential flats, some small offices, and tourist hostels. You can see the sights of this Madrid square at Travelsignposts Puerta del Sol gallery HERE. This file contains additional information such as Exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it.
King Carlos was nicknamed “el rey alcalde” due to the public works program he founded for the city. Puerta del Sol was originally one of the entrances to the fence that surrounded Madrid in the 15th century. This fence collected in its perimeter the travel diaries medieval suburbs that had been growing outside the walls, around the Christian wall of the twelfth century. The name of the door comes from a sun that adorned the entrance, placed there because the door is facing east. Among the buildings that gave him prestige at the beginning was Church of Buen Suceso and San Felipe el Real. This is a vibrant part of the city - full of bars, restaurants andshops.
If you want to stay right in the square itself, check out Apartamentos en Sol, some self-catering apartments whose address is Puerta del Sol 3. The square is actually almost semi-circular in shape and owes its current form to the major renovation work carried out between 1854 and 1860. In 1939, in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, military dictator Francisco Franco added a sixth major radial road connecting Madrid and his homeland Galicia. The House of the Post Office was built by French architect Jacques Marquet between 1766 and 1768. The building was the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior and State Security in Francoist Spain.