Puerta del Sol

About halfway between the Royal Palace and the Prado Museum is the huge plaza called Puerta del Sol. This is the center of activity in downtown Madrid and, in a sense, the center of Spain because all of the main highways (those designated with an “N”) radiate from here. Inlaid into the sidewalk on one side of the plaza you find a plaque marking Kilometro 0. Some of the city’s best shopping is to be found in the immediate vicinity, including a bustling pedestrian street lined with boutiques.Shopping for antiques can be fun in Madrid. The largest concentration of antique shops is in the area southeast of the Puerta del Sol, especially on Calle del Prado between the Plaza de Santa Ana and the Plaza de las Cortes.