The Big Reveal: Madrid’s Retiro Park
This week’s Where Am I quiz location was Retiro Park in Madrid, home to one of the city’s most photographed landmarks, the Crystal Palace. If you guessed right, well done. If not, here’s everything you need to know about this beautiful spot.
A Royal Park With Centuries of History
Retiro Park began life as a royal park connected to the Buen Retiro Palace, built in 1632 as a retreat for the Spanish royal family. It sat well outside the city at the time, though Madrid has since grown to completely surround it. Today it’s one of the city’s largest and most loved green spaces, drawing locals and travellers alike.
The Crystal Palace: Madrid’s Answer to London
Sitting at the edge of the park’s artificial lake is the Crystal Palace, known locally as the Palacio de Cristal, built in 1887 by architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco. It was constructed for the Exposition of the Philippines held that same year, and designed to mirror London’s own Crystal Palace, which had been built just over three decades earlier. The structure is built almost entirely of glass set into an iron framework on a brick base, standing in the shape of a Greek cross.
From Greenhouse to Art Gallery
It was originally used to house exotic plants brought over from the Philippines, functioning as an elaborate greenhouse rather than the gallery space it is today. The Crystal Palace now operates as an exhibition venue tied to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, hosting contemporary art installations inside what is still, at its core, a 19th century glasshouse.
Why Retiro Park Is Worth the Visit
Beyond the Crystal Palace, Retiro Park is packed with reasons to linger. Nearby stands the Palacio de Velázquez, designed in 1884 by the same architect, along with a rose garden and several notable monuments scattered throughout the grounds. It’s the kind of park where you can easily spend half a day wandering without running out of things to see.
Think You Know Where We’re Going Next?
That’s this week’s reveal. Keep an eye out for the next Where Am I quiz, and drop your guesses in the comments before the answer goes live. Follow 5 Star Trip so you don’t miss it.