Puerta del Sol

Puerta del Sol is the geographical and symbolic centre of Madrid and the official starting point of Spain's radial road network. A bronze plaque set into the pavement on the southern side of the square marks Kilómetro Cero — the official origin point from which all distances in Spain are measured on the national network. The square's name, meaning Gate of the Sun, commemorates an eastern gate of the medieval city wall that once stood here. Today it is a semicircular public plaza enclosed by neoclassical and 19th-century buildings, with the Casa de Correos (former post office, now headquarters of the Community of Madrid) as its most prominent landmark.

The Casa de Correos bears the tower clock whose midnight chime on 31 December is broadcast live across Spain. In the national New Year tradition, millions of Spaniards eat twelve grapes in synchrony with the twelve bell strokes from the Puerta del Sol clock — the square itself fills with crowds approaching 100,000 people for the celebration. Throughout the year it functions as Madrid's main transport interchange, with three metro lines converging beneath it.

The most photographed object in the square is the Oso y el Madroño — a bronze bear rearing up against a strawberry tree that has been Madrid's heraldic symbol since the medieval period. Queues form to photograph beside it during peak tourist hours. Puerta del Sol connects naturally to surrounding historic streets: Calle de Alcalá leads northeast toward Retiro, Calle Mayor runs west toward the Royal Palace, and the pedestrianised Calle del Arenal links through to the Opera district. Being Madrid's busiest pedestrian space, pickpocket activity is high and visitors should keep bags secure at all times.