Calle de Alcalá (Madrid) * All PYRENEES

Alcalá Street is one of the main arteries of Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain, both in terms of traffic and commercial activity. It extends for 11 kilometres from the centre of Madrid towards the northeast of the city.

It begins at Puerta del Sol with its kilometre 0 (the radial origin of all the roads in Spain and streets in Madrid), to end up running parallel to Avenida de América, up to the access road to O’Donnell station, geographically halfway through the district of San Blas-Canillejas, at its northern end, specifically in the Rejas neighbourhood.

Along its route are some of the most emblematic buildings and monuments of Madrid such as the Cibeles fountain and the Puerta de Alcalá.

The street was the centre of financial power at the end of the 19th century, being jokingly called the street of bankers.

Calle de Alcalá is one of the oldest streets in the city. Its birth and subsequent lengthening are in line with the growth of Madrid over time.

Its origin as a street may have originated at a time in the Madrid of the Austrias when construction began after the Puerta del Sol.

When Calle Mayor needed to be extended to reach the so-called Camino de Aragón. It was once a Cañada Real.

It was the old road which led to the city of Alcalá de Henares (from which it takes its name) and continued to Aragon; today, this route is covered by the A-2 motorway.

Along this street it is possible to find landmarks such as Banco Bilbao Vizcaya at number 16, the former Alcala 20 nightclub at number 20, Metropolis Building, the Union and the Spanish Phoenix building at number 23, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Cibeles Square, The Alcala Gate, the Instituto Cervantes building, the Bank of Spain building, the Retiro Park and the Bullring of Las Ventas.

Madrid Metro: Sol, Sevilla, Banco de España, Retiro, Príncipe de Vergara, Goya, Manuel Becerra, Ventas, El Carmen, Quintana, Pueblo Nuevo, Ciudad Lineal, Suanzes, Torre Arias y Canillejas.