If you come on a tourist trip to Madrid, the Palacio de Cristal in El Retiro is, without a doubt, an almost essential and obligatory visit.

On the walk that you will take through the Retiro Park, this is one of the busiest corners for visitors where you will also find the Pond and very close, to the south of it, is the Crystal Palace, within a wooded area and in front of to a small artificial lake.

The Palacio de Cristal is considered one of the best examples of metal architecture in Spain.

Now we will tell you a little more about this place.

Getting to know the Crystal Palace, a little history

When in 1887 the architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco built the Crystal Palace, and was inspired by the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park (London), designed by Joseph Paxton in 1851, its original purpose was to house an exhibition of tropical flora within the framework of a exhibition dedicated to the Philippine Islands, and responds both to the architectural culture of new materials and to the history of nineteenth-century colonialism.

When this exhibition ended, the Palacio de Cristal, among other functions, was the venue every two years for the National Exhibition of Fine Arts, housing the sculptures, an event that was managed by the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid.

In 1936, the Crystal Palace was used for the election of the President of the Republic, ultimately, Manuel Azaña.

And for the year 1975 the Crystal Palace building was reformed, keeping its original appearance and as we know it now.

How much does it cost to enter the Crystal Palace?

The price of admission to the Crystal Palace is €0, if it is completely free. Access does not have any type of cost for visitors, so you can make the most of your visit.

Opening hours to enter the Crystal Palace

The Crystal Palace always opens its doors at 10:00 in the morning and depending on the time of year its closing hours change.

• From November to February: from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• From April to September: from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• In March and October: from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• December 24 and 31: from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Crystal Palace is closed on certain holidays, specifically January 1 and 6, May 1 and December 25.

Arriving from our Vitium Urban Suites hotel is very simple, you can do it on foot and so you walk along the Gran Vía, passing through Plaza Cibeles and Puerta de Alcalá until you find the Retiro Park.

But you can also take the metro at Santo Domingo station (line 2) until you reach El Retiro station, which goes directly into the park.