Recoletos & Salamanca, Madrid

Location
The Retiro Park & Salamanca neighborhood lie east of the city's main north-south boulevard, the Paseo de la Castellana (also called Paseo de Recoletos and Paseo del Prado).

Metro stops in this area: Banco de España, Colón, Velázquez, Goya, Retiro, Príncipe de Vergara, Atocha

In a Nutshell
This area is the oldest part of New Madrid. In the 18th century, King Charles III of Spain embarked on an ambitious project to extend the city's boundaries eastward, starting with the Paseo del Prado, which was to hold the city's great scientific and artistic institutions. East of the Paseo del Prado he decided to salvage the green area of the Retiro, making it into the vast park it remains today. The area north of the Retiro became a stomping grounds for Madrid's wealthy class in the 19th century, and continues to be a posh barrio full of elegant buildings, many of them old palaces.