Sandra Dantis

Puerta del Sol – The symbol of Madrid

Puerta del Sol, or Sun Gate in English, is one of the most famous square of Madrid. What are the attractions of this square and why it is so lively? Why it is the best place to stay for a holiday?

Let’s imagine that I am new to Madrid, I don’t have a tourist guide and I want to find out where a sightseer would start the visit of the city. Well, that’s easy. I decide that I need a mean of transport, since I know that the capital of Spain is a big city and I go for the underground. The very first moment I pick up the tube map of Madrid underground, it hits me that there is a station called SOL as it has larger characters than the other station’s name.  OK, let’s go for that, then, I’ll try and see if I have luck. Presently I am at the Atocha train station, as I’ve just arrived from Málaga with the AVE. I buy my ticket and get the line one towards the Pinar de Chamartin. Three station stops passes by and I get out at the fourth. As I step off the train, I realise that this is a special station. It seems that I was not wrong…

The new station Renfe-Cercanías of Puerta del Sol was inaugurated on 27th June 2009 after five long years of discussed works that caused many inconveniences to tourists and Madrilenians that daily pass through the zone. It is an impressive infrastructure that connects suburban trains with three underground lines and boast the longest platform tube which measures 207 metres. The exterior aspect has been long discussed, too. It consists in a steel and glass structure, situated in the Esat part of the square and designed by the famous architect Antonio Fernández Alba. As for every innovation, there are people who really like it and detractors who state that it is an attack to the aesthetic look of the historical square.

Why is Puerta del Sol so special?

First of all, this lively centric square is one of the most important places of Madrid. People use to meet and to take it a reference point for reaching several sites (Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace, the historic centre, Calle Gran Via are some examples). Let’s say that it is the ideal site to have a “base camp” during a holiday. It is definitely a huge privilege to rent an apartment in Madrid city and be able to take advantage easily of all the opportunities that can offer the Spanish capital. During the day the Puerta del Sol square is a bustling and extremely busy place, but by night, this square turns on its lights and changes it aspect. In the XV century, this place was the eastern border that surrounded Madrid and the square’s name is due to the drawing of a rising sun that embellished the gate, therefore Gate of the Sun. The present shape of the square was modelled three centuries later.

Secondly, in this centric square of Madrid, you can find the Kilómetro Cero, that is a survey marker from which the kilometre distance of the radial network of Spanish roads is calculated. This plaque is situated on the pavement, in the south side of the square.

In Puerta del Sol square is also located the symbol of Madrid. It is a stone and bronze statue, inaugurated at the end of the 1960s, representing a bear standing on hind legs eating from a strawberry trees. It is called “El Oso y El Madroño” and it is frequently used as a meeting point for teenagers in Madrid.

The large equestrian statue which stands in the middle of the square represents the figure of King Charles III of Spain, also knows as “rey alcalde”, who reined during the period 1759-1788.

Another symbol of the Puerta del Sol is the Tio Pepe sign, the hallmark of Sherry vine produced in Jerez. It stands out especially at night, when neon light is turned on and it dominates the square from the top of the building between Calle de Alcalá and Carretera de San Jeronimo. This lighted sign is the last survivor among all the advertising sign that once populated Puerta del Sol. A few years ago Tio Pepe sign was removed and this provoked such indignation among Madrilenian that the sign was soon restored.

The last attraction that we wish to point out is the renowned clock whose twelve tolling of the bell marks the countdown to the beginning of the New Year. It is situated on the Correo Building which is now converted into the presidency of the Comunidad de Madrid.

This is a short list of the attractions that you can find visiting Puerta de Sol, but it is by no means exhaustive. This site is full of history but offers a lot also from the point of view of commerce. Restaurants, bars, shops and commercial centre in the surrounding streets are easily reachable from the square. Here it is possible to experience the real Madrid scene, as there are plenty of dance clubs and bars which offer entertainment until the approach of dawn.

Once again, it is the perfect choice for a holiday accommodation in Madrid city.

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