Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

The King of Madrid named this park the Parque del Buen Retiro which meant the Park of the Pleasant Retreat. This park is quite a large one spanning a land area of about 1.2square kilometers or 350 acres of land. It is located right in the heart of the Madrid City Center not very distant from the Prado Museum. Once you are outside the precincts of the city you will find that Madrid entirely surrounds this famous park. It is almost like an envelope of greenery.

The park was actually the site where the royal palace was built in 1632 under the rule of the King Philip IV. Nearly all the palaces were destroyed during the devastating Napoleonic wars. So this left a large space and here the park was made and it was opened to the public in 1868. There are a few remaining palaces but these are now being used as museums.

The attractions of the Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Within the precincts of the Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid there is a large artificial lake that is known as the Estanque del Retiro. In close proximity to this lake is the Mausoleum of Alfonso XII. It has a semi circular colonnade and there is also a statue of Alfonso on a high pedestal riding a horse. There are also the puppet shows that are enjoyed immensely by children and adults alike. There are many fortune tellers and street performers as well. The small boat rides or the hired rowing boat rides are equally enjoyable. This is an ideal place where families can go on a leisurely simmer afternoon.

The Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid also contains the very beautiful Palacio de Cristal. It was built with The Crystal Palace of London in mind. It was made in 1887 by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco. He also had designed the Palacio de Velázquez. It also has the 'El Angel Caido'. This is the only statute in the world that has been made in the honour of Lucifer, the fallen angel.