Puerta del Sol

Puerta del Sol takes its name from a city gate demolished in the sixteenth century, and it functions as the centre of Madrid in a literal sense: a slab in the pavement outside the Casa de Correos marks kilometre zero, the origin point for the six radial national roads. The building above it, a post office of 1768, carries the clock whose bells are broadcast on New Year's Eve, when Spaniards eat twelve grapes on the twelve strokes, a custom dating from around 1909 and originating in a grape surplus. On one corner stands the statue of the bear and the strawberry tree, the city's emblem and the standard meeting point. The square has been repaved and pedestrianised repeatedly, most recently in 2022.

What you actually see

• Kilometre zero - the pavement slab marking the origin of Spanish roads.
• The Casa de Correos clock - the tower whose bells ring in the New Year.
• The bear statue - El Oso y el Madrono, the city emblem and meeting point.
• The pedestrian square - a recently repaved open space at the city centre.

When to go

Year-round; New Year's Eve fills it completely with a ticketed and controlled crowd. Any other time it is simply busy. Early morning is the only quiet hour.

Honest expectations

The square is crowded, commercial and full of chain shops, with pickpockets working the area persistently. The recent repaving stripped out trees and shade, which drew local criticism. It is a landmark to pass through rather than to spend time in.

Nearby

Plaza Mayor is five minutes west; Gran Via begins at the northern corner.