Point of interest
Gran Vía
in Madrid, Spain
The avenue that never sleeps: theatres, cinemas, shops and Madrid's most iconic early-20th-century skyline.
Where it is
This grand avenue cuts across central Madrid, linking Calle de Alcalá with Plaza de España, along the edge of the Chueca and Malasaña neighbourhoods.
Address: Gran Vía, 28013 Madrid
What it is
The Gran Vía is Madrid's Broadway: showy buildings from the Edificio Metrópolis to the Telefónica tower, big musical theatres, cinemas around Plaza del Callao and shops open late. During summer Pride it becomes the parade route, packed with hundreds of thousands.
History
Work on the Gran Vía began in 1910, modelled on Haussmann's Parisian boulevards, requiring the demolition of more than 300 buildings. The final stretch was completed in 1929, defining the city's modern face.