Plaza Mayor.

Once a bustling 15th-century marketplace known as the Plaza del Arrabal, Madrid’s central square is a masterclass in Herrerian-style Baroque symmetry. Enclosed by uniform three-story residential buildings and accessible via nine distinct arched porticos, the plaza serves as a grand, pedestrianized stage for the city’s public life. At its center stands a 17th-century bronze statue of King Philip III, while the ornate Casa de la Panadería anchors the northern side with its distinctive mythological frescoes. Historically the site of everything from bullfights and royal coronations to public executions, the square now hosts a more peaceful mix of stamp collectors on Sunday mornings and a sprawling Christmas market in December. While the perimeter is lined with tourist-centric terraces, the true draw is the architectural rhythm of the 237 balconies overlooking the cobblestones.