Parque del Retiro is the best known park and pedestrian zone in Madrid. It is a favorite place for recreation of madrileños. However, originally, it was a royal park with no access to public, where the rulers used to walk or make their trips in horses and gondolas. Today, you can see locals jogging, walking, sitting in oar boats or just relaxing in the grass. The park area reaches 143 hectares. Within the area, Carlos III founded a famous porcelain factory, destroyed in 1808 – perhaps due to Napoleon’s invasion, ... (more)