Arganzuela and Madrid Río, Madrid
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Neighbourhood guide

Arganzuela and Madrid Río

Riverside parks and old industry

Arganzuela is the district south of the centre along the Manzanares. Its old industrial buildings are now museums and cultural spaces, and Madrid Río gives it a long riverside park.

Matadero Madrid is the former municipal slaughterhouse, a group of neo-Mudéjar pavilions from the early 20th century. Its grounds are free and open every day 09:00 to 22:00. The Palacio de Cristal de Arganzuela is a free greenhouse of about 7,100 square metres in another building of the same old slaughterhouse.

The Railway Museum is in the old Delicias station and costs 7 euros. From October to May it opens Monday to Friday 09:30 to 15:00, Saturdays 10:00 to 19:00 and Sundays 10:00 to 15:00. The Madrid Planetarium sits inside the Parque Enrique Tierno Galván.

Bodegas Rosell, close to Atocha, has a tile-covered facade and a small menu.

Getting there

Legazpi (L3, L6) is the Metro stop the tourism board lists for Matadero, and Delicias (L3) serves the Railway Museum.

7 places
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What to see

The Madrid Planetarium is closed on Mondays. Its exhibitions are free and the projection room costs 3,60 euros.

Also nearby

Madrid Río is a long riverside park, good for a walk between the Puente de Segovia and Matadero.

Nearby neighbourhoods

Lavapiés, Madrid Lavapiés Markets, cinema and cultural centres 9 places · 1.6 km away Paseo del Prado, Madrid Paseo del Prado The Paseo del Arte 15 places · 2.0 km away Retiro, Madrid Retiro The park and its palaces 10 places · 2.0 km away Huertas and Barrio de las Letras, Madrid Huertas and Barrio de las Letras Cervantes, Lope and flamenco 19 places · 2.1 km away

The best of Arganzuela and Madrid Río

Matadero Madrid
Best culture stop Matadero Madrid Free access, open every day 09:00 to 22:00.
Best greenhouse Palacio de Cristal de Arganzuela Greenhouse Free, open mornings.
Railway Museum
Best train visit Railway Museum In the old Delicias station.

Things to do in Arganzuela and Madrid Río

The white dome of the Madrid Planetarium under a blue sky
Museum · € Madrid Planetarium The city planetarium in Parque Enrique Tierno Galván. It runs projections, exhibitions and observation sessions led by experts.
Green electric and steam locomotives under the iron roof of the Railway Museum
Museum · € Railway Museum A railway museum in the old Delicias station, a 19th-century iron building, opened in 1984. It shows historic rolling stock from locomotives onward.
The brick halls of Matadero Madrid beside tree-lined paving
Landmark · Free Matadero Madrid The former Madrid slaughterhouse, a group of neo-Mudéjar pavilions on the Manzanares built in the early 20th century. It is now a culture complex, with free access to its grounds.
A riverside path and the Manzanares in Madrid Río park
Park · Free Madrid Río A long riverside leisure and culture area along the Manzanares, where the river's renaturalisation has brought back wildlife. It links historic monuments with leisure facilities.
Park · Free Palacio de Cristal de Arganzuela Greenhouse A greenhouse and botanical garden of about 7,100 square metres in the former municipal slaughterhouse, which Luis Bellido built between 1908 and 1928. It was restored in 1992.
Lawns and trees in Parque Enrique Tierno Galván
Park · Free Parque Enrique Tierno Galván A large park in the Legazpi district, near the Méndez Álvaro transport hub, with a wide range of tree species and the city planetarium inside.
Food · € Bodegas Rosell A tavern close to Atocha station whose facade is covered in the coloured tiles once typical of Madrid wine bars. Mercedes Vela runs the kitchen.

From the blog

The white Palacio de Cibeles on Plaza de Cibeles with its clock tower and turrets Things to Do in Madrid: Palace, Prado, Retiro and an Evening of Tapas Read

Stay in Arganzuela and Madrid Río

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