Multicultural Madrid Walking Tour: from Plaza Mayor to Lavapiés

Of all the cities in Spain, Madrid has always had a reputation for welcoming and attracting newcomers. On this walking tour, you’ll see how true this is, especially with regards to the Lavapiés neighbourhood.

From the imposing presence of its churches to its signs and symbols of conflict and rebellion, Lavapiés, like many neighbourhoods, is rooted in history and teeming with life. Its colourful and curious buildings, not to mention its street art, bars and covered markets intrigued me from the moment I first found myself living here. As a result, I made it my mission to discover the stories that hide behind its decorative and, sometimes crumbling, facades.

Starting in Plaza Mayor, I’ll guide you around some of my favourite parts of the city. I’ll show you one of the oldest restaurants in the world, El Botín, the Church of San Isidro where I’ll share the story of the city’s patron saint and the Mercado de San Fernando. The tour ends in front of Monumento a los Abogados de Atocha in the Lavapiés neighbourhood. Along the way, I’ll tell you about the city’s origins, about the walled-city of Madrid and the gate that used to be in the Plaza Puerta Cerrada.

You can also look forward to:

• Hearing the story of Eloy Gonzalo, a convenient 19th-century war hero
• Learning about the various activities of Madrid’s own Luis Candelas, a chaotic but cunning outlaw who became a hunted man
• Seeing the birthplace and family home of Pedro de Ribera, a celebrated baroque-period architect, responsible for many of Madrid’s emblematic buildings
• Coming across a fountain that continues to defy the course of history, and even once featured on British television
• Taking in the block of flats that once doubled as an opera house, bringing Madrid’s Zarzuelas to the masses
• Finding out about the now hidden remains of Madrid’s Jewish community, and how they are rumoured to have left their mark on the neighbourhood

So join me, another newcomer, as we take a dive into some of the rich culture and history of Madrid and Lavapiés. Welcome to the neighbourhood! Allow yourself 90 minutes to get the most out of the tour.