El Palacio Real or Madrid’s Royal Palace is the official residence of the Spanish royalty even though they don’t actually live here. It is now mainly used for special state functions. It is the largest royal palace in Europe with over 2,500 rooms and only 50 of the rooms are open to the public.
Our first visit to El Palacio Real was after 10AM on a Sat. morning and found a very long line that extended almost a block long and of course was worse because it was the weekend before Spain’s National holiday(purely by coincidence with our travel plans).
This was when many Spaniards come to the capital city for a huge parade and celebration. We went back a week later and an hour earlier and the lines were still long but a little more tolerable. It’s probably best to try and get there as early as possible right when the doors open.
Across the road from the entrance was a playground for the kids to take a break if the line is exceptionally long. My husband stood in line and I took the kids to the area in front of the Almudena cathedral and the fence to the castle which was pretty spacious for the kids to play. There were also some areas of the wall for sitting while waiting in line and there was someone playing the accordion and singing (tips were encouraged).
There was a small door leading to the ticket areas which could get really crowded. Exiting the ticket areas and gift shop led us to a big courtyard in front of the palace. It was absolutely beautiful and a perfect place for kids to roam freely. Children seemed to gravitate to some of the ornate lampposts for picture taking and climbing.
There was a 45-minute guided tour but we opted for the self-guided tour using the map provided. There were plenty of information markings in English and Spanish as we went to each room.
We entered the palace by climbing up a grand staircase with beautiful frescoes on the ceiling. They were worth straining your neck muscles. Unfortunately, there was no picture taking allowed inside the palace. There were security guards who kept a close eye on the visitors on each room.
We saw a woman who tried to sneak a picture in the throne room, was admonished and the guard stood there to make sure she had erased the image from her camera. They didn’t mess around with their rules.
The palace was filled with opulence and grandeur and enormously more magnificent than the pictures could capture. There were varying rooms which had different themes i.e. Porcelain Room, Stradivarius Room (had various Stradivarius violins on display).
Most of the rooms were all very ornately decorated with some bordering on excessiveness and gaudiness. The state dining room was very impressive and HUGE.
The frescoes were just stunningly beautiful and rival each other in beauty and details. Our kids’ favorite was the throne room which was full of chandeliers and statues and the thrones guarded by four golden lion statues.
We were able to get a picture of my daughter posing in one of the halls to remember our visit inside. In hindsight, it probably would have been more fun for the kids to wear crowns and tiaras or for the little boys to have their foam swords as they toured the palace.
We couldn’t let a palatial visit without seeing some knights so we walked straight across the courtyard to the southwest corner to visit the Royal Armoury. This was in direct view to the left (by the fence) after coming in to the courtyard. There were several grand armors used by the royal family on display in a huge room. It was simply amazing to see all of the different types of armors in one place.
Unfortunately, there were no pictures allowed here too. There was a security guard who gave us a stern warning even though the camera was just hanging around my neck. What gives?! Darn, there goes my plan of pretending I didn’t see the sign or discreetly trying to take a picture of the armors.
We found some children armor which got my kids very excited. We were lucky to manage to sneak one shot since my daughter really wanted one of a little knight (her elementary mascot is a Knight). Yes, we are stereotypical Asian tourists. The Royal Armoury will surely keep children interested with the knights, armors(humans and animals) and weapons on display.
The Royal Pharmacy was also worth a visit which was adjacent to the gift shop. It was a small room with little drawers occupying the walls. There was a strange smell emanating in the room of medicine and mustiness.
My kids weren’t too happy here, complaining of the smell and couldn’t wait to get out. It was interesting though to see where they stored all the medicine and how much of it there was to cure the royal family’s ailments.
On another day’s visit to the palace, we went around the back area (north part) of the palace to Sabatini Gardens with an even grander view of El Palacio Real. This could be reached by walking along the outside walls of the palace on Calle de Bailen. It was a pleasant surprise to see the gardens in the midst of the surrounding buildings.
There were two winding staircases that led down to the gardens. The trimmed hedges and beautiful trees really made us feel like we were in a palace courtyard.
There was a fountain flanked with statues and benches including a small maze of hedges. It was very relaxing here and a great place to have a picnic or for the kids to look at the statues and explore.
Another highlight as we walked to the palace was crossing through Plaza de Oriente with a big fountain almost in front of Teatro Real(opera house). There were huge statues of kings and queens lining the walkway. These were supposed to be displayed on the palace rooftops but were too heavy so they remained on the ground for all to admire.
El Palacio Real and its surroundings was one of the highlights for us in Madrid and should not be missed. Our little princess and knight in training surely appreciated it and told everyone when they got back they went to a real palace.
Address: Calle Bailen 28001 Madrid Metro Stop: Opera
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I was there last summer and as usual, the queue was really long. And it was searing hot. And then they closed early that day. I only had 2 hours and a half inside which I think wasn’t enough.