Madrid's Parque del Retiro
An Island of Tranquillity in the Centre of Spain’s Capital City
Rich with historical associations, the Parque del Retiro was the setting for the palace of the seventeenth century King Felipe IV, built near what is now the park’s western gate that bears his name. After originally serving as a recreation ground for the royal family the Parque del Retiro has been open to the public for the last 150 years.
Alfonso XII Monument
Three blocks east of the Museo del Prado within the Bourbon section of the old city, the Puerta de Felipe IV opens on to a formal garden of manicured shrubs, grass verges and carved stone statuary. A pathway leads up to the boating lake opposite the imposing monument of Alfonso XII who served as the king from 1875 to 1885 as part of the second Bourbon restoration.
The lake is the main focus of activity within the park. Cafes offer drinks and light snacks to patrons chatting or reading books and newspapers. Families stroll along the promenade beside the water. A saxophonist plays light jazz pieces and movie track music, creating an atmosphere well worth a euro or two tossed into the hat at his feet. Lovers quietly paddle hire boats or photograph each other beside fountains. Cyclists, power walkers, roller skaters and joggers, some of them class acts and marathon contenders, manoeuvre round the less determined visitors.
Puerta Del Angel Caido
Scattered around the park are minor monuments commemorating Spain’s colonial past, and pathways are named after Latin American countries and Spanish heroes, from the Avenida de Mejico at the northern entrance through the Plaza de Honduras to the Puerta del Angel Caido 800 meters to the south.
A short walk from the boating lake is the Palacio de Velazques, built in 1884 and now used for temporary exhibitions, and further on is the Palacio de Cristal. This domed, glass-walled gallery was modeled on London’s Crystal Palace of 1851. It was originally designed to house tropical plants but is now used for occasional receptions and art displays.
Palacio de Cristal
Perhaps the park’s most beautiful feature and one of Madrid’s prettiest sights, the Palacio de Cristal is framed by mature trees, a waterfall and a fountain rising from a reflecting pool where colonies of ducks and black swans have made their home. By itself the Palacio de Cristal makes a visit to the park worthwhile.
The Parque del Retiro is within easy reach of several stations on Madrid’s modern, efficient metro system from Atocha in the south to Retiro in the north and Ibiza in the east. It is an ideal place to relax away from the traffic and to take in the sights, sounds and atmosphere of both modern and old Madrid.
The Palacio de Cristal
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A jogger passes the Alfonso XII monument
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Formal garden near the Puerta de Felipe IV
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A saxophonist beside the boating lake
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Catching up with a laptop
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