TAKE IT EASY (AND STILL DO STUFF)
Travel burnout is a real thing. So is fear of missing out – FOMO. Throw in some uncooperative children (or partner!) and you can feel your trip grinding to a halt. But, don’t forget it’s your vacation. There’s no reason you can’t have your cake and eat it too. You can slow down the tempo of your day and still see the sites. Here are a few suggestions on low key sightseeing in Madrid.
Royal Palace of Madrid and Plaza de España
This is one of the grandaddies of European palaces. It is an imposing structure that presides over the parks and urban sprawl below. Palacio Real de Madrid was built in the 1700s by Phillip V, who grew up in Versailles and whose own granddaddy was Louis XIV, the Sun King. With that kind of upbringing how could the palace not end up with over 3,000 rooms, one more ornately appointed and lavish than the next? Phillip V was installed as King of Spain to establish the Bourbon Dynasty, which nominally still exists today. Although nobody lives here anymore, this is your chance to visit a palace that is currently used for stately dinners. There is only rope and stanchion separating you from priceless royal heirlooms, including 150 rare, working clocks. The Main Staircase designed by Felipe Sabitini, with 70 grand steps, is certain to make an impression on a visiting dignitary or somebody with a stroller. This is why we recommend a ‘Divide & Conquer’ strategy for a family with toddlers or unpredictably mobile children.
One parent sees the palace, the other minds the children. Nearby Plaza de España features an epic, new playground, the perfect reason to split up, and occupy the kids.This will take some planning as tickets can (and should) be purchased for specific hour blocks during the day. There are options for guided tours, but unencumbered and with a rented audioguide, the palace tour can be completed in as little as 45 minutes. In the meantime, your kids will be swingin’ and slidin’ in the shadows of a Cervantes monument.
El Retiro Park
Every time you open up a map of Madrid to plan your trip, you can’t help but notice that green trapezoidal space right in the middle, by all the museums – that’s El Retiro Park. Now, telling a family to visit a park isn’t exactly earth shattering. But, visiting a park that was originally designed for a king’s private use is a unique experience. The crushed gravel paths lacing the park leading to five distinct gardens give off some Victorian vibes. Humankind taming nature was an obsession at the end of the 19th century and punctuated here by The Glass Palace, a monumental former greenhouse.
The Great Pond dominates the center of the park and invites you to rent a small paddle boat or just watch the amateur mariners from the steps of the Monument to Alfonso the XII. The main path near the Great Pond is where you are most likely to see impromptu shows by magicians, dancers, acrobats and buskers. On most weekends, there are free puppet shows (all in Spanish) at Teatro de Títeres. There are playgrounds for the kids and crossfit stations for working off the tapas. Several cafes and kiosks are stationed around the park as well as roving treat vendors. If you packed a picnic, there is plenty of open space to spread out – wherever you choose to sit somebody will inevitably start practicing guitar nearby.
