Madrid: Palacio Real and Catedral de la Almudena

It’s fair to say I love a palace and a cathedral, and I’ve visited many in my time.

So it goes without saying Madrid’s royal palace and Almudena Cathedral were top of the places I wanted to visit in the Spanish capital.

Palacio Real

Situated high above the Manzanares River, Madrid’s Palacio Real is the official home of the Spanish royal family and is said to be the biggest palace in western Europe, boasting some 3,418 rooms.

The palace was founded in 1561 when Felipe II (he of the Spanish Armada fame) decided to turn a medieval fortress, the Alcázar, into a home fit for royalty.

Felipe II lived there with his family until 1584, when he moved to the even more imposing El Escorial, which he’d had built in the Guadarrama mountains just outside the city.

The present palace was built by Felipe V in the middle of the 18th century after the old royal residence burned down in a fire on Christmas Eve 1734.

When I arrived at the palace, I joined a huge, fast-moving queue to buy my ticket and then made my way to the courtyard (above).

Inside, my tour began in the Hall of the Palace Guards, the Hall of Columns (above) and the spectacular central staircase (below).

The grand and impressive staircase boasts an incredible painted ceiling by the Italian artist Carrado Giaquinto (below).

After this point, photos are forbidden (the rule is strictly enforced), which is a shame because the palace is magnificent and, I suspect, very photogenic.

Lavish, ornate and sumptuous, there’s no doubt that once upon a time the Spanish royals had access to untold riches (very much at the expense of others).

Packed with breathtaking chandeliers, ceilings and furnishings, it’s anything but a pauper’s palace.

One of the most jaw-dropping rooms is the porcelain room, a room that’s made entirely from porcelain – think porcelain walls, ceiling and chandelier.

Alfonso XII’s smoking room, which is decorated in a Japanese style, is also a memorable affair.

The Spanish coronation regalia is on display, too, and the enormous gold-topped red crown of Spain’s current king Felipe VI is a sight to behold.

The palace was fairly busy during my visit but the traffic flowed smoothly, so it wasn’t much of an issue.

And because you couldn’t take photos, it was nice I didn’t have to worry about getting in the way of people taking selfies as I walked around.

Tour over, I returned to the courtyard, where I stopped to take yet more photos (above) and to admire the views over the Jardines del Campo del Moro below.

I loved my visit to the Palacio Real, it’s a showstopper of a palace and is well worth a visit if you’re ever in Madrid.

Catedral de la Almudena

Next door to the Palacio Real, you’ll find the Catedral de la Almudena, one of Europe’s newest cathedrals.

It sometimes feels that Europe’s capitals are brimming with great cathedrals and churches, which makes it so surprising that up until recently, Madrid didn’t have a cathedral.

Work on the Catedral de la Almudena started in 1883, but it took 100 years to finish building the Neo-Gothic monument.

Since it was consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993, its biggest claim to fame has been hosting the 2004 wedding of Felipe VI and Letizia Ortiz.

The modern cathedral is nice enough, but it’s not particularly memorable and lacks the elaborate architectural touches, priceless masterpieces and blinged up altarpieces you see in other cathedrals.

The brightly painted ceiling is attractive and the abstract stained glass windows a nice touch, but other than that there isn’t much to see.

After looking around the cathedral, I made my way to the crypt around the corner.

The crypt, like the cathedral, is fairly modern and there isn’t a huge amount inside, aside from some family tombs and chapels belonging to various Spanish royals and aristocrats.

The most notable person buried there is Mercedes of Orléans, who was briefly Queen of Spain as the wife of Alfonso XII.

It was nice to see inside the cathedral, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit as there are more interesting sights in Madrid.

Tips

• The Palacio Réal is free to enter between 4pm and 6pm.