3 Weird And Wonderful Attractions In Madrid, Spain
Madrid, the capital of Spain, is a sprawling and bustling city, filled to the brim with palaces, museums, art galleries and other attractions.
The city also has its less usual side, which can be seen from these three weird and wonderful attractions to visit in Madrid, Spain.
1. Templo de Debod
Templo de Debod is a genuine, ancient Egyptian temple located in the heart of Madrid, close to the Plaza de España.
The completion of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt during 1968 meant that several historic sites would be flooded. Several countries assisted Egypt in relocating the various monuments, including Spain. To express its gratitude, the government of Egypt gifted Spain with this small temple.
Dedicated to the Egyptian gods, Amun and Isis, Templo de Debod stood in the Nile Valley in Egypt from the 4th century BCE. Now it stands in the center of Parque de la Montaña in Madrid. The temple is surrounded by a pool of water, which beautifully reflects the monument and looks especially stunning during sunset. The site also offers magnificent views across Madrid.
The temple is worth a visit day or night and is easy to reach as it is a short walk from the Plaza de España metro stop.
2. The Bear and the Strawberry Tree
El Oso y el Madroño, as it is known in Spanish, stands in the Puerta del Sol in Madrid. The statue consists of a bear, standing on his hind feet while searching for sweet fruit in the leaves of a strawberry tree. The statue was the work of Antonio Navarro Santafé and has stood in the city since 1967.
While a statue of a bear might seem strange, it turns out the bear is a symbolic animal in Madrid. The animal was first used as a symbol in 1212 when knights from Madrid headed into battle against the Moors. Their standards were emblazoned with the image of a bear surrounded by seven stars of the Ursa Minor (little bear) constellation.
The bear has been popular as a heraldic emblem ever since and is the perfect spot to take an unusual selfie.
3. Tropical Garden in Atocha Station
Atocha Station is the main railway station in Madrid and is unique, in that it is home to a beautiful and lush tropical garden. While commuters are rushing to catch their trains, it is possible to enter the garden and relax on a bench with a coffee, admiring the view. The garden was first inaugurated in 1992 and was built in an abandoned section of what was the old Atocha train station, before newer facilities were introduced to handle the AVE high-speed trains.
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The arboretum of the garden contains more than 7,000 plants from 260 species, including trees native to tropical forests. Here you can spot coconut and breadfruit trees from Polynesia, banana trees from the Philippines, mahogany trees and royal palms from Cuba, rubber trees from Brazil, a traveler’s tree from Madagascar and critically endangered palm bottle trees from the Indian Ocean islands.
The lower section is filled with tropical plants, like Central American cacao plants, African coffee plants, several carnivorous plants, South African bird of paradise plants, Mexican fruit salad plant and more.
There was at one stage wildlife in the train station, as a number of freshwater turtles, abandoned as pets, were living here. Biologists set them up with ponds in the tropical garden to give them a second chance at life. However, it turned out life got too lively for the turtles as the ponds gradually became overpopulated. The turtles then found a new home in a wildlife park nearby. Now visitors can see gold fish and other fish swimming around in the water.
Visit Madrid for its history, shopping, dining and more, but make sure you visit these unusual and fun locations in the city!
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