Madrid Architecture Week: A Walking Route Through Historic Buildings and Century-Old Taverns
Every October, Madrid opens the doors of dozens of buildings that visitors normally only see from the outside. It's Architecture Week, and this year marks its 23rd edition, running from October 2 to 13, 2026, organized by the Fundación Arquitectura COAM together with the city and regional governments.
With around 300 free activities — guided visits, themed walking routes, talks, and family-friendly plans — it's one of the few times of year you can actually step inside institutional buildings that have shaped the city's skyline for well over a century.
We're adding our own ingredient: five century-old food and drink stops, each a short walk from a historic official building. Because understanding Madrid means reading its facades just as much as sitting at the bar where they've been pouring vermouth since before the metro existed.
💡 Fun Fact: this edition of Architecture Week has Switzerland as guest country and dedicates its main exhibition to the centenary of architect Antonio Lamela, one of the key names in 20th-century Madrid (Torres de Colón, Nuevos Ministerios, Barajas Terminal 4).
What Is Madrid's International Architecture Week?
It's been organized for more than two decades by the Official College of Architects of Madrid (COAM) through its Fundación Arquitectura, with the goal of bringing the profession — and the city's own built heritage — closer to the general public.
The program combines three kinds of activities. First, guided visits to buildings that are normally closed to the public, from institutional headquarters to private homes of architectural value. Second, themed urban walking routes through entire neighborhoods, led by specialized guides. Third, talks and panel discussions at Espacio COAM (Calle Hortaleza, 63) on Madrid's current urban and architectural challenges.
Most activities require free advance registration through the official website, and spots at the most popular buildings fill up within hours. Our tip: book as soon as the detailed program goes live, usually about two weeks before the event starts.
Founded more than two decades ago, the event has grown into one of Madrid's biggest annual cultural programs, drawing tens of thousands of visitors who otherwise would never get past the lobby of a ministry, a bank headquarters, or a private mansion tucked away behind an unassuming door.
Our own route doesn't follow the official Architecture Week itinerary — which buildings open changes every year — but instead connects five of the most emblematic institutional buildings in the center with the century-old taverns that have been serving crowds right across the street for generations. Most of these five buildings, in fact, can be visited any week of the year, so this route works outside the event dates too.
Understanding a 19th-century institutional building isn't just about looking at its facade: it's also about wondering who was sitting in the tavern across the street while it was being built, and what they were eating and drinking as the city grew up around them. That's the premise of this route, which builds on the ground we already covered in our piece on the Centennial Taverns of Madrid, focused on the old Habsburg quarter, by branching out to official buildings from later eras too.
The Route: From Congress to the National Library, Building by Building
It's roughly 2.5 kilometers on foot, unhurried, taking about three to four hours if you stop at every point. Walk it in one day, or split it across two afternoons.
Stop 1 — Congress of Deputies and Taberna La Dolores
The Palacio de las Cortes was built between 1843 and 1850 by architect Narciso Pascual Colomer, and it still houses Spain's Congress of Deputies today. It's one of the purest examples of 19th-century Spanish neoclassicism, with an Ionic-columned facade overlooking Carrera de San Jerónimo.
Its real stars, though, are the two bronze lions flanking the staircase. Sculptor Ponciano Ponzano cast them in 1866, using metal from cannons captured during the 1860 war in Africa. Locals nicknamed them Daoiz and Velarde, after the two captains who died in Madrid's 1808 uprising against Napoleon.
Inside, the building holds the famous Salón de los Pasos Perdidos ("Hall of Lost Steps"), the grand antechamber where informal political deals have traditionally been struck before deputies enter the chamber — a name that sums up a good chunk of Spanish parliamentary history over the last 175 years.
A three-minute walk away, on Plaza de Jesús, waits Taberna La Dolores, open since 1908. Its tiled facade advertising beer is one of the most photographed in Madrid, and it has appeared in several Almodóvar films.
📌 Local Tip: order a well-pulled draft beer and a plate of croquetas — it's what deputies have been ordering here for more than a century.
The square outside, Plaza de las Cortes, is itself worth a slow lap: it's ringed by 19th-century buildings that grew up alongside the parliament, including the elegant Palace Hotel just across the way.
Stop 2 — Ateneo de Madrid and Casa Alberto
Heading down into the Literary Quarter (Barrio de las Letras), the Ateneo de Madrid — founded in 1835 as a hub for liberal debate — moved into its current home at Calle del Prado, 21, in 1884, a modernist building by architects Enrique Fort and Luis Landecho, inaugurated with Spain's royal family in attendance.
Nearby, at Calle de las Huertas, 18, Casa Alberto has survived since 1827 and is considered Madrid's oldest tavern. The building once housed the residence of Cervantes' printer, and the bar still keeps its original counter and a vermouth tap over a century old.
It's a must-stop for rabo de toro (oxtail stew) and homemade vermouth poured straight from the tap, exactly as it was when it opened.
While you're there, take a look down Calle de las Huertas itself and toward the Real Academia de la Historia a couple of streets up: they share the same literary-quarter atmosphere that gave the whole district its name, back when Cervantes, Lope de Vega, and Quevedo all lived within a few steps of each other — the same Madrid we explore in From Mayrit to Habsburg Madrid.
And speaking of vermouth on tap: if this stop leaves you wanting more, we've got a full route dedicated to The Vermut Hour in Madrid.
Stop 3 — Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando and Casa Labra
On Calle de Alcalá, 13, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando occupies the former Palacio de Goyeneche, built by José de Churriguera in the early 18th century. The Academy moved in in 1773, and architect Diego de Villanueva later stripped away the original Baroque elements to bring it in line with the neoclassical taste of the time.
Five minutes away, near Puerta del Sol, Casa Labra has been serving its famous battered cod bites since 1860. This spot also has its own place in Spanish political history: the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Party) was founded here in 1879, in a discreet back-room meeting.
💡 Fun Fact: Casa Labra's cod bites and croquettes are served standing up at the entrance bar — they've never been served at a table, not even once in 165 years of history.
Before heading down to Casa Labra, it's worth stepping into the Academy's own museum: it holds Goya's self-portrait (he was once the institution's director) alongside works by Zurbarán, Rubens, and Picasso, with free admission for much of the public.
Stop 4 — Plaza de Cibeles and Lhardy
Plaza de Cibeles brings together two of Madrid's most photographed institutional buildings, facing each other. The Bank of Spain, designed by Eduardo de Adaro and Severiano Sáinz de la Lastra, was built between 1884 and 1891. Across the square, the Palacio de Cibeles — the work of Antonio Palacios and Joaquín Otamendi, built between 1907 and 1919 — served for decades as Spain's central post office headquarters before becoming Madrid's City Hall in 2011.
A ten-minute walk away, at Carrera de San Jerónimo, 8, Lhardy opened in 1839 as a luxury delicatessen and still serves its celebrated cocido madrileño (chickpea stew) and a hot consommé that guests ladle themselves from antique silver samovars at the entrance counter.
Its dining rooms have hosted everyone from Queen Isabella II to a good part of Spain's political class over the last 180 years — and its cocido gets its own spotlight in our guide to The King of the Spoon: Cocido Madrileño.
Before sitting down to eat, head up to the free viewpoint on the 8th floor of the Palacio de Cibeles — arguably the most complete view of central Madrid, and a great way to spot every building on this route at a glance.
Stop 5 — National Library and Café Gijón
Walking up Paseo de Recoletos, the Palacio de Biblioteca y Museos Nacionales houses Spain's National Library, designed by architect Francisco Jareño and built over several decades of the 19th century.
The library holds, among other treasures, some of the earliest books printed in Spain, and its museum — with exhibitions that are usually free — makes for a calm way to end the route away from the bustle of Cibeles.
At the end of the boulevard, at number 21, Café Gijón — open since 1888 — was for generations Madrid's great literary café, the setting for gatherings of writers like Valle-Inclán and Pío Baroja. It closed for five months for a full renovation and reopened in March 2026, keeping its original identity intact.
📌 Local Tip: order your coffee at the bar rather than at a terrace table if you want to feel the atmosphere of the historic literary gatherings — that's traditionally how it was done here.
Route Summary
Stop | Official Building | Year | Century-Old Tavern | Since |
1 | Congress of Deputies | 1850 | Taberna La Dolores | 1908 |
2 | Ateneo de Madrid | 1884 | Casa Alberto | 1827 |
3 | Royal Academy of Fine Arts | 1773 (moved in) | Casa Labra | 1860 |
4 | Plaza de Cibeles (Bank of Spain / City Hall) | 1891 / 1919 | Lhardy | 1839 |
5 | National Library | 19th c. | Café Gijón | 1888 |
Practical Tips for Experiencing Architecture Week
Book early: free building visits fill up within hours — note the date registration opens on the event's official website.
Wear comfortable shoes: some visits involve stairs or full floors with no elevator access.
Check the program by district: different neighborhood routes open each year, in areas like Salamanca, Chamberí, or Retiro.
Pair it with the food route: most of these taverns serve lunch between 1pm and 4pm — perfect timing between visits.
Espacio COAM: if you're short on time, the Hortaleza 63 headquarters concentrates much of the talks and exhibitions program.
Metro: all five stops are within a 10-minute walk of lines 1 and 2 (Sevilla, Banco de España, Antón Martín, and Sol), so the route can easily be shortened or split.
FAQ
Do you have to pay to take part in Architecture Week? No, the vast majority of the roughly 300 activities are free, though many require advance registration due to limited capacity.
Can you visit the Congress of Deputies outside of Architecture Week? Yes, Congress runs free guided tours on Saturdays year-round, subject to availability and ID.
Do you need reservations at the taverns on this route? At Lhardy and Casa Alberto it's highly recommended, especially for a sit-down meal; at Casa Labra and La Dolores you can usually grab something at the bar without booking.
Is this route family-friendly? Yes, it's a flat walk through the historic center with no difficult stretches, though some guided visits inside institutional buildings have a recommended minimum age — worth checking when you book.
What's the best time of day to walk this route? Late morning works well for the buildings, since most open around 10am, leaving the early afternoon free for a leisurely lunch at one of the taverns before the light starts to fade.
Looking to turn this walk into more than a stroll? Our Tapas Tour à la Quixote runs right through the Literary Quarter this route crosses, stopping at several of its historic taverns with a local guide who knows every corner.
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