Puerta del Sol

You are in the Puerta del Sol, the place where almost every Madrileño has arranged to meet someone at some point. It is a good spot to get your bearings: streets such as Alcalá, Mayor, Arenal, Preciados and Carretas all start here.

1Four stops in one square

Start with the Real Casa de Correos, the brick building with a tower that presides over the square. Its clock, donated by the clockmaker José Rodríguez de Losada, has been running since 1866, and its chimes have seen out the year on television since 1962.

In front of the main door, look on the ground for the kilometre zero plaque, from which Spain’s radial roads are measured. Then walk to the start of Calle de Alcalá to see the Bear and the Strawberry Tree, Antonio Navarro Santafé’s 1967 sculpture of the city’s symbol. Close by is the Mariblanca, a replica of a figure that once adorned an old fountain.

Stepping on kilometre zero is almost a ritual for first-time visitors.

2Practical tips

Metro lines 1, 2 and 3 and Cercanías commuter trains all meet beneath the square, so it is a convenient place to arrive. The area is very crowded: keep an eye on your belongings. And look up at number 11: the Tío Pepe neon sign is another photo classic.

3What to look out for

• The clock of the Casa de Correos.
• The kilometre zero plaque.
• The equestrian statue of Charles III, put in place in 1994.