Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop

What to expect

The Círculo de Bellas Artes is an arts association founded in 1880 by a group of artists. Its home on Calle de Alcalá was designed by Antonio Palacios and used from 1926, a large, richly decorated building that holds exhibition rooms, a theatre and a big café known as La Pecera.

The azotea is the terrace on the roof, and it is one of the easiest ways to see the centre from above. You look along Gran Vía, towards Cibeles and over the roofs of the old town, with a statue of Minerva standing right beside you. It is an open-air spot, so the weather matters, and the light around sunset is popular with photographers.

Don't miss

• Gran Vía seen from above
• The statue of Minerva
• Cibeles and the skyline
• The facade details of Palacios' building
• La Pecera café on the ground floor

Tips for your visit

• Go late in the afternoon to watch the city change colour, but expect more people at that hour.
• Combine it with the Mirador Madrid in the Cibeles Palace, which is a short walk away and shows the same area from another angle.
• Most people stay half an hour to an hour; a coffee downstairs in La Pecera makes a pleasant start or end.