The Royal Palace

1. Arrival
2. Nights
3. Guests (Age 3 and Over)
4. Children (Under Age 3)

The Royal Palace is the largest royal building in the western part of Europe, covering more space than the Palace of Versailles. It is the Spanish King’s official residence in the city and is used for state ceremonies, but the royal family actually live most of the time outside the main part of the city, in the Palacio de la Zarzuela. The Royal Palace is state owned and managed by a government department.

The Royal Palace is situated on Bailen Street, which is in the western part of the city. Tourists not lucky enough to be in one of the Madrid holiday apartments close by; can reach it by taking one of the underground trains to the Opera metro station. Part of the palace is open for public viewing.

There has been a fortress on the site since the 10th century and after the Royal family moved their court back to Madrid in the 16th century, a castle was constructed. This was destroyed in a fire and the existing palace was built in the 18th century. Visitors are able to view the royal chapel, the music room, the throne room as well as several bedrooms formerly occupied by Spanish kings. The location of the palace means that it can be viewed easily from a distance and those renting one of the Madrid holiday apartments nearby may be lucky enough to have a view of the building from their balcony.

The Campo del Moro Park is also popular with tourists as is the Teatro Real Opera House; both attractions are in close proximity of The Royal Palace. The immediate area is home to many of the most popular Madrid holiday apartments, which attract thousands of tourists each year and also a large number of hotels and guest houses.

Visitors can visit the palace on almost every day of the year, though opening hours are different during the winter months and at weekends. There is no official website for the palace, although many of the most popular tourist information sites will give up to date details on these. Visitors can take a guided tour around the palace, although this costs extra. The entry fee without the guide is eight Euros. It is advisable to get to the palace early as queues can form quickly, making it difficult to get in.

Those taking advantage of available Madrid holiday apartments may want to visit some of the more popular tourist attractions, such as the Royal Palace.