Gran Vía Madrid Tour

MADRID

Gran Vía

During the 1910-1930 the construction of the Gran Via took place modernizing the city of Madrid and evolving into the “Spanish broadway” with: cinemas, theaters, neon lights plus the first skyscraper of the city, Torre Telefonica; but today this iconic street has become a shopping destination with your typical brands — so get your retro outfit ready to explore the most iconic street of Madrid.

Time period: 1910s-1970s

Movie/book: Las Chicas del Cable drama series/ABC newspaper

Soundtrack: Antonio Molina/Rocio Durcal’s songs

Fashion: neutral suit, polo shirt plus a Panama hat (and suspenders)

Budget:

Map of Madrid in the year 1935 inside the Museo de Historia de Madrid

This tour would take you through Gran Via: the most iconic street of Madrid where you can find huge shops, historic theaters plus cinemas; and where locals and tourists hang around among street performers. The area is characterized by: beaux-art/art deco architecture, big screens or neon signs and fast food restaurants from around the world. Gran Via, which had several names (including CNT avenue, Russian avenue and Soviet Union Avenue) was conceived in the 1900s as a link between the Main Street Alcala and Plaza España with the intention of being the main east-west corridor of the growing city; but also it was an opportunity to transform the royal-court city into a modern metropolis like London, Paris or New York. The project was inspired by the Haussmann renovation of Paris but later adopted the glitz and glamour of Times Square. It was approved in 1904 but construction began in 1910 after demolishing around 400 medieval structures getting finished in 1929. The construction of its buildings took place over 4 decades till the 60s, going from beaux-art architecture to modern buildings, from banks and insurance companies to theaters and cinemas, from churches to shops. During the Franco years the renamed Avenida José Antonio became the Spanish Broadway as it was the center of entertainment in Madrid with around 9 theaters showing movies and musicals. Iconic skyscrapers got built like: Torre Telefonica (which was the tallest building in Europe in 1930), the Capitol Building (which was a symbol of futurism with its famous movie theater and iconic neon sign), or the Edificio España (the tallest building in Spain when it was finished in 1953 as a symbol of prosperity and nationalism during the dictatorship). After Francisco Franco's death and Spain's transition to democracy, the street got its original name back: Gran Vía, and it turned punk embracing the night life of La Movida Madrileña throughout the 80s. Although it lost its cultural significance with many theaters closing down over the years, it hasn’t lost its beauty or prestige. Today is more recognizable as a shopping destination rather than entertainment, with fast food restaurants, hotels and the flagship stores of fast fashion brands like: Zara, C&A, Primark, H&M or Mango gentrifying the street with a more casual attitude. Nonetheless Plaza Callao still is the center of entertainment in Madrid with a couple of cinemas close by and street performers around the square. Another must-to-do experience on this street is to checking out a roof top bar/restaurant or a viewing deck during sunset/night to catch some breathtaking views of Madrid. The tour suggests checking out the banks and churches of gran via, brunch at a historical Mc Donald and Torre Telefonica in the morning; shopping plus a movie around plaza Callao and a break at plaza España in the afternoon; and dinner in a roof top bar/restaurant plus a night walk at Gran Via.