The Royal Palace of Madrid claims the title of the largest functioning royal palace in Western Europe by floor area, though the current Spanish royal family doesn’t actually live here, using it instead for state ceremonies and official functions. Built on the site of a former Moorish fortress that burned down in the 18th century, the palace was constructed in a deliberately grand style meant to rival Versailles, and the sheer number of ornately decorated rooms open to visitors reflects that original ambition.

Best Things to Do

Walk through the State Rooms

These formal reception rooms, still used for official state functions today, are covered in frescoed ceilings, gilded moldings and royal portraits, with the Throne Room in particular standing out for its red velvet walls and ceiling fresco by Tiepolo.

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See the Royal Armoury

One of the finest collections of historic arms and armor in the world, including suits worn by Spanish kings and elaborately decorated ceremonial weapons, this collection gives a different, more martial angle on Spanish royal history than the palace’s ornate living quarters.

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Visit the Royal Pharmacy and Kitchens

Less visited than the grand state rooms, these working spaces show the practical machinery behind palace life, from ceramic apothecary jars used to treat the royal family to a kitchen complex that once fed hundreds of court staff and guests.

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Explore the Sabatini Gardens

Laid out in a formal, geometric style along the palace’s northern side, these gardens offer good views back at the palace facade and a quieter spot to rest after touring the dense interior rooms.

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Best Time to Visit

Morning visits, right at opening, offer the calmest walk through the State Rooms before tour groups build up. Check ahead for state ceremonies, which occasionally close parts of the palace to the public with little advance notice.

How to Get There

The palace sits at the western edge of old Madrid, an easy walk from Plaza Mayor and the Almudena Cathedral next door. The Ópera metro stop is the closest transit connection.

Good to Know

The palace is enormous, and only a portion of its rooms are open to visitors, so a focused visit to the State Rooms and Armoury takes around two hours. Photography is typically restricted inside the State Rooms, so factor that into how you plan to document the visit.

Few palaces in Europe pack this much scale and ceremonial grandeur into a still-functioning royal building. Even without the current royal family in residence, the Royal Palace makes clear exactly how much status this address once, and still officially, carries.