More ideas for Easter in Madrid

Friends, an important religious holiday has already begun in Spain and you still have no plans! How can this be? In this post, we’ll tell you what to do during the week so you don’t miss out on the most interesting things to do.

1. Visiting beautiful churches/temples.
Since the festivity is spiritual, you can take a tour of the emblematic Christian saints of Madrid. The Basilica of San Francisco El Grande, located in La Latina, is known for its artistic wealth that houses in its interior, with works by Goya and Zurbarán, and its impressive dome, the largest in Spain and the fourth largest in Europe. Admission is usually 5 euros, but on Thursdays it is free of charge.

Also worth a visit is the Church of San Jerónimo el Real, a former 16th century monastery with a remodeled neo-Gothic sanctuary, stained glass windows and baroque cloister. Admission is free. Church of San Antonio de los Alemanes from the 17th century, in baroque style, whose walls and dome are decorated with frescoes full of magnificent details. Admission is 5 euros (includes a thirty-minute audio guide).

2. Try Madrid’s most emblematic dish: cocido madrileño.
It is a dense and hearty dish consisting of different types of meat, such as beef, pork and chicken, as well as vegetables: potatoes, carrots, peas and cabbage. All these ingredients are cooked together in a pot until a fragrant and nutritious dish is obtained. It is often served with chorizo, eggs and the traditional Spanish condiment, paprika. Here is a selection of the best cocidos in Madrid.

3. Taste the traditional Easter sweet.
During Holy Week, it is customary to eat torrijas, which are like slices of stale bread soaked in milk and then fried. Yes, it sounds strange, but it’s quite delicious! Torrijas can be found this season in all Spanish restaurants, cafés and pastry shops. Even Starbucks has them. We wouldn’t risk trying them there, but the torrijas are definitely excellent at La casa de las torrijas.

4. Attend Catholic processions.
Men dressed in traditional costumes will march through the streets of Madrid, carrying heavy statues of the Virgin Mary, singing and in general, it is something unusual. Here is the schedule and route of all the processions.

5. Witness and listen to the traditional drum procession.
The official culmination of Holy Week – Easter Sunday – is the tamborrada. This is a concert in honor of the resurrection of Christ.

Hundreds of monks will gather at 1:00 p.m. to play melodies on drums that will not leave indifferent neither the locals who come to see the show, nor the clueless tourists who are frightened by the first beats of the drumsticks. The route starts at the Plaza Conde de Miranda, where the Corpus Christi monastery (monastery of Carboneras) is located, and this year the route also passes through the Puerta del Sol and will end at the Plaza Mayor at approximately 14:00-15:00 hours.

Also, this week you can simply go for walks, meet your loved ones, have picnics and simply try to live in harmony with yourself and the world.