Champions League · Tuesday 3 November 2026 · 21:00
Two hours around Sol: see old Madrid on foot before the crew meets up
You've landed, dropped the bags, and there's time to kill before everyone arrives. Old Madrid starts right on the doorstep, and this walk finishes exactly where the evening starts.
Auf Deutsch lesen: Zwei Stunden rund um die Sol
Start at Puerta del Sol
Sol is the heart of Madrid. In the pavement in front of the Real Casa de Correos, the building with the clock, is the Kilómetro Cero plaque, the point Spain's national roads are measured from. A photo with your feet on it is compulsory. A few steps away stands the bear and strawberry tree statue, the city's symbol and the classic spot where Madrileños arrange to meet.
Calle Mayor and Plaza Mayor
From Sol, Calle Mayor heads west. A few minutes along, an archway leads into Plaza Mayor: a huge enclosed square ringed by arcades, with the equestrian statue of Philip III in the middle. It's a good place for the first group photo of the trip.
If you have time, leave through the Arco de Cuchilleros in the south-west corner and take in the steep lanes of the old town.
Back towards Sol, finishing at Espoz y Mina 7
Wind your way back towards Sol. Right off the square, Calle de Espoz y Mina runs towards the Barrio de las Letras. The walk ends at number 7: red facade, gold lettering.
On match day O'Connell St opens at 18:00 and the game is live on our screens. In town earlier? Opening times for every day are on the location page.
Three Irish pubs near Sol to meet up before the match
- O'Connell St · Calle de Espoz y Mina 7
- Dubliners · Calle de Espoz y Mina 7, the same address
- O'Reilly's · 200 m from Puerta del Sol
Pick one, share the pin, and whoever is still sightseeing knows where to head. Atleti fans are just as welcome.