Calle 30, better known as M-30, is the ring road of Madrid where more than three hundred thousand vehicles drive daily, making it the busiest highway in Spain. It is 32.5 kilometres long and is owned by the Madrid City Council.
Drivers who travel round the country and use the M30 are drawn to a series of emblematic buildings around Madrid noticeable by their size and design, buildings capable of triggering the desire to go sightseeing in Madrid, M30 tourism.
In addition, if you feel like parking, we suggest taking a stroll through the wide-open spaces left by the buried sections and visit this great city and some of its most striking buildings.
This is a selection of the most emblematic architectural works that you can see along this artery in Madrid.
1. From the Pirulí you can see the country
One of the buildings that encourage visitors to enter Madrid is Torrespaña, located on 77 O ‘Donnell Street, popularly known as ‘El Pirulí’ for its resemblance to the lollipop which used to delight children 40 years ago. Do you remember?
- Its height is 220 metres, 232 with the communications antenna.
- The Pirulí broadcasts the signal of 20 DTT channels, 14 analogue radio channels and 8 digital radio channels.
- It was inaugurated in 1982 during the FIFA World Cup hosted by Spain.
2. The Planetarium
- This building is on the edge of the M-30 and it can be accessed from exit 11 to Méndez Álvaro Street, turning towards Planetarium Avenue.
- It can be found inside the Tierno Galván Park, a park located at an altitude of 600 metres and with an impressive panoramic view of Madrid.
- The observatory tower stands out, 28 metres high and 3 metres in diameter, holding a telescope inside.
- Its educational content is for all audiences, although it is especially designed for children.
- It opens Tuesday- Friday from 9.30 am to 1.45 pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 11.00 am to 1.45 pm and from 5.00 pm to 8.45 pm. It is closed on Mondays.
3. The Cubes
- One of the most eye-catching buildings when driving on the M-30 is the Realia Cubes, an office building with a very unique architecture.
- It is made up of rectangle-shaped cubes which overlap perpendicularly. Nowadays, the Cubes are one of the hallmarks of Madrid.
4. The M-30 Mosque
- A beautiful white marble building with a red roof and whose minaret draws the attention of the drivers who travel along the M-30.
- It is located in 7 Salvador de Madariaga Street. Although many locals do not know, these facilities can be visited.
- Multiple exhibitions are shown in the premises throughout the year, open to the public on Saturdays between 5.00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.
5. The IBM ship
- Another building that calls the attention of drivers is the IBM Headquarters in Spain, located in 26- 28 Santa Hortensia Street.
- The building looks like a great transatlantic steamer silhouetted against the sky. It is a property that is perfectly equipped as a workplace and with all available technology.
- In addition, it has a medical centre, news agency, cafeteria, restaurant and library.
- The building has considerable dimensions: 70,000 square metres and a total capacity of 2,000 people working at full potential.
6. Las Ventas
- The M-30 and Las Ventas bullring have a close relationship. It is the most important bullring in Spain, designed in the Neo-Mudéjar (Moorish) style, where the best bullfighters of the moment have been performing since 1931.
- It is located in Alcalá Street and has a seating capacity of more than 23,000 spectators. As the famous Spanish copla says, you can walk by with “la falda almidoná y los nardos apoyaos en la cadera” (a starched skirt and tuberose resting on the hip).
7. The Virgin of the Port hermitage
- Located in the vicinity of the Royal Palace, on the promenade by the same name.
- The hermitage was built in the eighteenth century by express wish of the first Marquis de Vadillo, who held the position of chief magistrate of Madrid at that time.
- Although completely destroyed during the Civil War, it was reconstructed in 1945. For centuries in Madrid, it was the destination of the pilgrimage in adoration of the Virgen del Puerto (Virgin of the Port).
Photo: M.Peinado from Alcalá de Henares, España, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
