Puerta del Sol

Kilometre Zero — the exact point from which every road distance in Spain is measured, marked by a small plaque in the pavement. Home to the bear-and-strawberry-tree statue, the Tío Pepe sign, and the clock whose twelve chimes on New Year's Eve set the whole country's midnight.

The Kilometre Zero plaque sits directly in front of the Casa de Correos clock tower and gets a constant rotation of tourists standing on it for photos — arrive early morning for a clear shot. The clock's New Year chimes are followed nationwide as the cue for eating twelve grapes, one per stroke, a tradition that started here in 1909 and is now watched on television across Spain. The square anchors Madrid's busiest shopping streets, all radiating outward within a five-minute walk.