SLEEP’N Atocha is situated in the heart of Madrid, at the southern corner of the famous Art Triangle. This prime location means you can walk to many of the capital’s attractions.
What’s more, our accommodation is just one street away from the city’s main railway station, Atocha, and Metro Line 1. From here, you can quickly reach iconic landmarks such as Puerta del Sol, Gran Vía and Plaza Mayor.
There are plenty of places to visit within a five-minute walk. In this post, we’ve rounded up five that you shouldn’t miss:
1. Royal Botanical Gardens of Madrid
Opened by King Charles III in 1781, the capital’s Royal Botanical Garden is home to European, American and Pacific plants spread across three large terraced levels.
A tour of the garden and its greenhouses combines general botanical information, interesting facts, history, the uniqueness of the specimens, the uses of the plants and their importance in our lives.
The Botanical Garden’s current location is no coincidence; it reflects the interest of the enlightened monarch, Charles III, in creating a complex in Madrid dedicated to the natural sciences. That is why it was situated next to what is now the Prado Museum, which in the late 18th century was the Natural History Museum.
2. IKONO Madrid
Less than 100 metres from SLEEP’N Atocha is IKONO, a unique interactive art gallery which opened in 2020. Its original concept invites visitors to enhance their senses through immersive activities, colours, smells and textures, whilst capturing the moment with their own camera or mobile phone, or via a professional photographer who will send the photographs, free of charge, to those who wish to receive them.
The tour lasts approximately one hour, during which visitors can explore five spaces: Océano ikono, Lluvia de confetti, Santuario bambú, Vivid lounge and Texturas continuum, spread across fifteen rooms on three floors.
3. Reina Sofía Museum
At one of the corners of the Paseo del Arte, just a few metres from our accommodation, the Reina Sofía National Art Museum houses an important collection of works by renowned artists such as Dalí, Miró, Juan Gris and Picasso.
This fascinating journey through the history of Spanish contemporary art is housed in a neoclassical building designed by the architects José de Hermosilla and Francisco Sabatini. The museum’s extension, carried out between 2001 and 2005 by the architect Jean Nouvel (winner of the 2008 Pritzker Prize).
4. CaixaForum
The CaixaForum is a cultural centre run by the “la Caixa” Foundation and located on the Paseo del Prado in Madrid. Its activities focus on temporary exhibitions, which usually centre on archaeology, art, design and photography.
The centre is housed in one of the few examples of industrial architecture in the city’s historic centre: the former Mediodía Power Station, dating from the early 20th century. The space was refurbished in 2008 by the architectural firm Herzog & De Meuron (Pritzker Prize winners in 2001).
5. Bookshops on Cuesta de Moyano
Across from the Paseo del Prado lies the pedestrian street known as “Cuesta de Moyano”, home to a permanent market of bookstall stalls dating back almost a hundred years. At the top of the slope stands a statue of a distinguished figure in Spanish literature, the writer Pío Baroja.
There are currently 30 stalls run by the children or grandchildren of the market’s founders. They offer a wide variety of books, ranging from philosophy, literature and art to essays, and even buy and sell copies. What’s more, you can find some real curiosities, such as out-of-print volumes or old comics.
