Free tour

Revolution and Resilience: Madrid in 20th Century free walking tour

4.77

Good (35 ratings)

Madrid

Duration: 2 hours

Languages: English

Guru: Walkative! Tours

PRO

Verified quality

Registered on 06 June 2024

Walkative was established in 2007 by a group of young enthusiasts who also happened to be licensed tour guides. Today, we operate in 20 cities in countries across all of Europe and beyond, including France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Ukraine and Israel. We have already guided more than 3 million tourists, with more than 350 000 in 2023 only! Despite this growth, we stay true to our values: be local and present the history of our cities in a professional, yet entertaining way, accessible for everybody, regardless their budget. We provide service not only in big, well established places like Berlin, Paris or Krakow, but also smaller, less known, yet no less fascinating locations, like Nice, Toruń or Lublin. We cooperate with highly trained, professional guides providing both engaging tip-based and regular fixed-price tours. And most importantly - we know our cities by heart! Join us and stay Walkative!

Free booking and cancellation

Pay-what-you-wish tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free

Tour description

Our journey begins with the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, followed by the forward-thinking Second Spanish Republic, where Madrid emerged as an intellectual hub and battleground for women's suffrage, led by Clara Campoamor. The narrative darkens with the upcoming Spanish Civil War, making Madrid a symbol of anti-fascist resistance, heavily documented by figures like Ernest Hemingway. Following the war, came the long Franco dictatorship, and after his death, Madrid became the heart of Spain's transition to democracy. The 1980s brought "La Movida Madrileña," a cultural explosion with Madrid at its core, symbolising newfound freedom that influenced all forms of art and nightlife, embodied by figures like Pedro Almodóvar.

Our tour will start close to the Royal Palace, moving to Plaza España, the scene of key Civil War battles. We will tell you about Gran Via and Callao, central to Madrid’s media during Hemingway’s time. We’ll discuss Franco’s controversial regime, visit the monument to Clara Campoamor, and explore the Convent of the Comendadoras de Santiago. We will finish the tour at the Dos de Mayo Square, once a centre of “La Movida Madrileña”, today filled with restaurants, bars and pubs - a perfect place to feel Madrid’s vibrancy.

During the tour, we will see and discuss:

The Royal Palace
Plaza España
Gran Via & Callao
Monument to Clara Campoamor
Convent of las Comendadoras de Santiago
Dos de Mayo Square

Highlights

What will we see on this tour?

Meeting point:

Pl. de Isabel II, 4, Centro, 28013 Madrid, Spain

We meet at Opera Metro station - outside the Teatro Real. Please look there for a yellow umbrella!

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours don't have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end the amount they consider appropriate (amounts usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).