Madrid’s Historic Gran Vía Turns 100 Years Old

The beloved Gran Vía, one of the city’s main commercial arteries, is officially 100 years old. While the crush of pedestrians, the variety of shops, and the traffic noise tend to command one’s attention down to eye level, when you look up along the Gran Vía you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise. Many of the buildings have ornate architectural features towards the top. Like the white pavilion on the Grassy building (at Gran Vía, 1), for instance.

The most emblematic buildings on this historic street include Spain’s first skyscraper, the Telefónica building (at number 28), and the photogenic Metropolis building (at the corner of Gran Vía and Alcalá). As for emblematic businesses, Bar Chicote (at number 12) and Loewe (at number 8 ) stand out among esteemed Spanish institutions.

[Photo: Roger Bits]