Fiesta de la Almudena in Madrid
The La Almudena festivity takes place on the next 9th of November in Madrid, in commemoration of the city’s Patron Saint, Our Lady of Almudena. It’s mainly a religious celebration, but where you’ll also find less traditional events for everyone to enjoy this festivity. Are you interested?
What to do in La Almudena in Madrid
When this date gets close, the whole city of Madrid prepares to celebrate the day that commemorated its Patron Saint. If you want to get to know some of the most authentic traditions of the Spanish capital, this is a perfect day to do so!
The day starts with a mass in Plaza Mayor, after which the Virgin’s procession will take place. In this procession they take the Virgin’s statue back to the Almudena Cathedral, and it’s followed by a crowd that accompanies the statue in its route.
The route take the statue through several streets of the centre, such as Calle Mayor or Calle Bailén.
During the whole day, there’s a floral offering (traditionally at Plaza de la Armería), where locals get together to offer flowers and food that later are donated to soup kitchens.
If you decide to come on that weekend to Madrid, you’ll also be able to enjoy one of the most authentic and noteworthy activities of the city, the outing of chulapos and chulapas in Plaza Mayor.
The chulapos/as represent the traditional attire of madrileños and madrileñas from the 19th and 20th Centuries.
The clothing has changed ever since, however, it still maintains the main characteristics: for women, the hair drawn back and decorated with flowers, a kerchief, body elongated and skirt to the feet. The men have a beret, kerchief and vest.
Almudena Crown: “Corona de la Almudena”
Benefiting from your visit to the capital, you can’t miss out on a pastry that is typical to this festivity; “la Corona de la Almudena”. This pastry is similar to the “roscón de reyes” and is made with a cake filled with cream, truffles or pastry cream. This tradition dated back to 1978 when the local bakers created a dessert to honour the festivity of the Patron-Saint. During these days usually over 300,000 Crowns are sold. On the days before you’ll be able to see that the bakeries have their windows decorated for the event, and with this renowned pastry.
Route through the centre of Madrid.
In addition to enjoying this authentic tradition and trying out these great desserts, there’s an endless amount of activities you can enjoy on those days if you’re coming to Madrid.
Our SmartRental Collection apartments are located right in the centre of Gran Vía in Madrid, so you’ll be able to discover the centre of the city by foot!
For example, you’ll be able to reach Plaza Mayor in under 10 minutes. This is one of the most visited squares in Madrid, and the perfect setting for many shows and events, as it’s one of the oldest squares in Spain.
The square has nine archways, and the most famous one is Arco de Cuchilleros.
You can continue your visit through Calle Mayor to Puerta del Sol one of the most emblematic spaces of the city. Before you arrive, you will discover kilometre 0
This curious detail is marked and indicates exactly where all the roads start in Spain.
From Puerta del Sol, The House of the Post Office will surely get your attention. The most famous thing of the building is, without any doubts, the Clock in the Tower, in charge of stroking midnight on the New Year.
Very close to that, you can take a photo with one of the most emblematic statues of Madrid, el Oso y el Madroño.
What to eat in Madrid
If you need to recover your strength, Madrid has a great gastronomic offer for all kinds of palates. In the streets you can find from calamares and cocido madrileño, to the most interesting and bold options.
We highly recommend you to visit our restaurant located in the 10th floor of our Gran Vía 42 building, where you’ll be able to enjoy the amazing skyline of the centre of Madrid.
Our restaurant, inspired in the Madrid of the 50’s proposes a very special midday lunch for weekends, and a creative 8 course menu at night. Do you want to try it? Visit our website to find out all the details of our MyWay restaurant.
Accommodation during La Almudena
Enjoy your stay in our apartments during your visit to Madrid. In our apartments you’ll find the serenity and freedom of an apartment, with the services of an hotel.
We have fully furnished studios and apartments of 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms in the centre of Madrid, with a fully equipped kitchen (fridge, microwave-over, washing machine, coffee machine, kettle, blender…) air conditioning, heating, private bathroom with amenities, bedrooms with double beds, and a large living room with a double sofa-bed with TV, wifi and Chromecast.
In addition to all this, we have services that will make your stay unforgettable: 24/7 front desk, pool with Jacuzzi, gym, personal trainers, sauna, automated parking with over 300 spaces, and even a grocery delivery service!
Visit our website and check out our special offers. Choose the one that suits you best, and reserve your getaway at the best price, we have promo codes, special offers for long stays, and many other offers. Find yours!
Do you still have any doubts? If that’s the case, you can contact us through our website or calling us (+34) 910 284 776 and we will help you in anything we can. Come to celebrate La Almudena with us!