Puerta del Sol (Sun Gate) began as the eastern gate of Madrid's medieval wall, but the gate disappeared, and the sun endured. Today's half-moon square sits at the heart of Spain's road network, marked by the tiny Kilómetro Cero plaque embedded in the pavement outside the old post office. Every highway distance in Spain is measured from this modest bronze disc.
The square's most famous resident is the bronze bear reaching toward a strawberry tree, Madrid's unlikely heraldic symbol since 1222. Less celebrated but equally persistent is the clock atop the Casa de Correos, whose New Year chimes have governed Spanish midnight celebrations since 1866. Twelve grapes, twelve chimes, twelve seconds of national synchronisation.
Beneath the cobblestones lies a stretch of the old Moorish wall, discovered during metro construction and now visible through glass panels in the underground station.
VoiceMap's self-guided audio tours use Puerta del Sol to help trace Madrid's evolution from medieval fortress town to modern capital, revealing how this crossroads witnessed royal proclamations, republican uprisings, and the birth of contemporary Spain.