Everything about the Puerta del Sol: its history, its monuments (Km 0, the Bear and the Strawberry Tree, the New Year's Eve clock), how to get there and what to see around Madrid's most emblematic square.
History
History of the Puerta del Sol
From medieval gate to the symbolic centre of Madrid: the history of the Puerta del Sol, its great 19th-century renovation, the arrival of transport, its monuments and its role as a gathering place.
Read the full guide
Kilometre Zero
The Kilometre Zero plaque, in front of the Real Casa de Correos in the Puerta del Sol, marks the historic origin of Spain's six radial highways. Its history since 1856 and today's compass rose.
Leer
What to See in the Puerta del Sol
A walk through the nine essential sights of the Puerta del Sol: Kilometre Zero, the Casa de Correos, the clock, Charles III, the Mariblanca, the Bear and the Strawberry Tree, the Hotel de París, Tío Pepe and La Fonda.
Leer
The Casas de Cordero and the Hotel Europa
The history of the Casas de Cordero, one of Madrid's first great modern apartment blocks: Santiago Alonso Cordero, the Fonda de la Vizcaína and the Hotel Europa.
Leer
The Real Casa de Correos
History of the Real Casa de Correos, the oldest building in the Puerta del Sol: from 18th-century post office to Ministry of the Interior, Directorate-General of Security and seat of the Presidency of the Community of Madrid.
Leer
La Fonda de los Príncipes
La Fonda de los Príncipes opened in 1861 within the arc of the new Puerta del Sol. The hotel's story: from the Gran Hotel de la Paix and the Hostal Americano to its reopening in 2026.
Leer
La Mallorquina, a pastry shop in Sol since 1894
The history of La Mallorquina, the Puerta del Sol pastry shop founded in 1894: its Mallorcan partners, the ensaimadas, the hot chocolate, the napolitanas and its historic upstairs salon.
Leer
The Old Hotel de París
The building that today houses the Apple Store was the Hotel de París for 142 years. Its story: from the Buen Suceso to Manet, the Café de la Montaña, Valle-Inclán and the Tío Pepe sign.
Leer
The Bear and the Strawberry Tree
History of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree, Madrid's medieval symbol and a Puerta del Sol sculpture since 1967: its heraldic origin, its creator and its changes of location.
Leer
La Mariblanca
La Mariblanca arrived in Puerta del Sol in 1630, more than three centuries before the Bear and the Strawberry Tree. The story of the Venus statue, the Fountain of the Harpies and its journeys around Madrid.
Leer
Charles III and His Statue in Puerta del Sol
The equestrian statue of Charles III presides over the center of Puerta del Sol, yet it is one of the square's most recent features: it arrived in 1994 and was moved to the new fountain in 2023. The story of the king Madrid called 'its best mayor' and of his monument.
LeerThe Tío Pepe Sign
History of the Tío Pepe sign: from the Hotel de París to number 11 on the Puerta del Sol, its removal, restoration and return in 2014.
Leer
The great renovation that created the Puerta del Sol
The 1857-1862 renovation that created today's Puerta del Sol: the competing designs, the demolitions, Lucio del Valle's arc of buildings and the cost of the new square.
Leer
Why It Is Called Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol was once a gateway into medieval Madrid, decorated with a sun. Discover how that vanished gate gave the square its name.
Leer
The Cafés of Puerta del Sol
During the 19th century, Puerta del Sol was a grand salon filled with cafés. The story of the Café Universal, the Café de la Montaña and the cafés of La Fonda — places of tertulia, press and politics.
Leer
Casa Labra, a tavern beside Sol since 1860
History of Casa Labra, the century-old tavern beside the Puerta del Sol known for its cod, its croquettes and the 1879 founding meeting of the PSOE.
Leer
From Stagecoaches to the Metro
A history of transport in Puerta del Sol: stagecoaches, hired carriages, the railway, trams, the Metro, buses and Cercanías, from the old crossroads to the pedestrian square.
Leer
Sol station and the pavilion of Antonio Palacios
The history of Sol station since the Metro's inauguration in 1919: Antonio Palacios's entrance pavilion, the three lines, the Cercanías commuter rail and the vanished whale.
Leer
The fountains of the Puerta del Sol
History of the fountains of the Puerta del Sol: the Mariblanca, the Canal de Isabel II fountain, the fountains of 1951 and 1986, and the current Charles III fountain.
Leer
The Losada Clock and the New Year's Eve Chimes
History of the Losada clock, the mechanism that has crowned the Real Casa de Correos since 1866, and of the Puerta del Sol's New Year's Eve chimes: the origin of the twelve grapes and their broadcast on radio and television.
Leer