The Puerta del Sol square is Madrid's centre of the centre and therefore the symbolic omphalos of the whole kingdom. Here is milestone zero of Spain's road network from which all distances are measured. At least once a year, the whole nation looks here, when national TV stations broadcast the New Year's celebrations on Puerta del Sol and Spaniards swallow their twelve grapes to the chimes of the post office's belfry. North of Puerta del Sol, around Calle de Preciados and Calle del Carmen, is the main shopping district of central Madrid.

The northern limit of this district, Gran Vía, is the Spanish capital's most splendid avenue. It is lined by tall, lavishly ornated banking, insurance and shopping palaces from the early 1900s.

The neighbourhood around the Spanish parliament (Cortes) and calle de las Huertas is commonly known as the barrio de las Letras, literally the "quarter of letters", given that the most important writers of classical Spanish literature—Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Francisco de Quevedo, Luis de Góngora—lived here. Around the Plaza Santa Ana is one of Madrid's favourite areas for casual dining and drinking with friends at night.

Lavapiés is Madrid's most multicultural and multiethnic neighbourhood. About half of its population have their roots in Latin America, Africa or Asia. This is the place to go to encounter folk and dance music from around the world, unconventional cafés and individual shops.

The "museum strip" or Paseo del Arte, to the east of Letras and Lavapiés, including the world-famous Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Foundation, Caixaforum and the National Museum of Modern Art "Reina Sofía", is covered in a separate article.

40°24′50″N 3°42′7″W

Map of Madrid/Sol-Letras-Lavapiés

Madrid's main station, 40.40581-3.689611 Estación de Atocha, is near the southeastern corner of Lavapiés.

Suburban trains (Cercanías lines  C-3  and C-4 ) stop at an underground station directly below Puerta del Sol.

Most metro lines pass through this district. Apart from the central 40.416764-3.7036372 Sol  1  2  3 , there are Banco de España  2 , Sevilla  2 , Gran Vía  1  5 , Callao  3  5 , Santo Domingo  2 , Plaza España  3  10  along Gran Vía, Antón Martín  1  near Letras, Tirso de Molinas  1  and Lavapiés  3  in the eponymous neighbourhood.

• 40.40758-3.695041 Auditorio 400, C/ Santa Isabel, 52 (Nouvel Building of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía), ☏ +34 917 741 000, comunicaciones.mncars@cars.mcu.es. The main venue for contemporary music, dance, and theatre performance. 
• 40.41833-3.696552 Círculo de Bellas Artes, C/ Marqués de Casa Riera, 2 (Metro: Banco de España), ☏ +34 91 5225092. Exhibits: Tu-Su 11:00-14:00 17:00-21:00; Azotea: M-F 09:00-21:00, Sa Su and holidays 11:00-21:00. A non-profit cultural center located a short walk from Sol, the CBA offers up a wide variety of events and shows including film, music, art displays, dance, theater and more. See the website (in Spanish) for a list of activities. Great panoramic views of the city can be had from the Azotea, located at the top of the building. €4 (exhibits), €4 (Azotea). (updated Feb 2017)
• 40.41543-3.699513 Cardamomo Tablao Flamenco (Cardamomo Flamenco Show), C/ Echegaray, 15, ☏ +34 918 051 038, reservas@cardamomo.com. Shows daily at 18:00, 20:00, 22:00. Authentic Flamenco show in the center of Madrid, one of the greatest tablaos flamencos all over Spain, typical Spanish food during the performance. €32-39 (without drinks/dinner). (updated Feb 2017)
• 40.41721-3.697184 Teatro de la Zarzuela, C/ Jovellanos, 4, ☏ +34 910 505 282 (box office), fax: +34 915 233 059, abonostaquillas.tz@inaem.mcu.es (box office). Tickets: M-Sa 12:00-20:00, Su 12:00-18:00. The Spanish version of the operetta (zarzuela) is performed here. This is also the main concert venue for the Community of Madrid Orchestra.  
  • Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid (Community of Madrid Orchestra), C/ Mar Caspio, 4, ☏ +34 913 820 680, fax: +34 917 643 236, info@orcam.org. (updated Feb 2017)
• 40.4126-3.699095 Teatro Monumental (Monumental Cinema), C/ de Atoche, 65, ☏ +34 914 291 281 (box office). (updated Feb 2017)
  • Orquesta Sinfónica de RTVE (RTVE Symphony Orchestra), ☏ +34 914 298 119, infopublico.orquestaycoro@rtve.es. Performs every Th and F at the Teatro Monumental on Calle Atocha.  
• 40.41377-3.703816 Yelmo Cineplex Ideal (Cine Ideal), C/ Doctor Cortezo, 6 (metro: Sol), ☏ +34 913 692 518. Probably the best known V.O. (versión original, or original language) theatre in Madrid, it offers the largest selection of movies and is a short walk from Sol. (updated Jan 2018)
• 40.41185-3.699137 Cine Doré, C/ Santa Isabel, 3 (metro: Anton Martín), ☏ +34 913 691 125. This is a wonderful old Spanish theatre dating from the 1920s. It has three screens and shows mainly art-house and critically acclaimed films in the original language. In the summertime, they screen movies on the roof. From €2.50.  

• 40.41784-3.708231 Academia Eureka, C/ del Arenal, 26 - 3º D (near Puerta del Sol), ☏ +34 915 488 640, fax: +34 915 482 580, eureka@eurekamadrid.com. Accredited by the Instituto Cervantes, the school has been offering Spanish classes since 1988. It also offers optional housing on-site or with a Spanish family, and provides after-school activities and excursions. Classes start on Monday and all 6 levels (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2) are offered. Class sizes are small with a maximum of 8 students per class. 
• 40.41973-3.697232 Inhispania, C/ Marqués de Valdeiglesias, 3 (near the Puerta del Sol), ☏ +34 915 212 231, info@inhispania.com. Specialises in teaching Spanish language and culture. It is accredited by the Instituto Cervantes and offers intensive and regular programs, in smalls groups, for all levels and during the whole year. The school also organises after-school activities and offers an optional accommodation service. 
• 40.41779-3.708183 ^{[dead link]} Spanish Abroad (near Puerta del Sol), info@spanishabroad.com. Spanish school. (updated Jan 2017)
• 40.41915-3.703934 Cambio Idiomas (C/ de la Abada, 2, 2º), ☏ +34 915567804. A language academy specialising in Spanish courses for expats and also offering courses in different languages, levels and with different objectives. (updated Feb 2017)
• 40.41713-3.695625 Tandem Escuela Internacional Madrid, C/ Marques de Cubas, 8 (Barrio de las Letras), ☏ +34 915 322 715, spanishcourses@tandem-madrid.com. Located in a beautiful palace, the school offers Spanish courses for foreigners, and English or German courses for Spaniards. It uses a humanistic teaching approach, combining neuro-linguistic programming with other innovative techniques. (updated Feb 2017)

• 40.41755-3.704771 El Corte Inglés Preciados, C/ Preciados 1-9, ☏ +34 913 798 000. Occupying the full first few blocks of the pedestrian boulevard Calle Preciados, El Corte Inglés serves as a gateway to the shopping paradise from Puerta de Sol. (updated Feb 2017)
• 40.41952-3.705062 El Corte Inglés Plaza de Callao, Plaza de Callao, 2, ☏ +34 913 798 000. M-Sa 10:00-22:00, Su 11:00-21:00. A much smaller store is to be found at the other end of Calle Preciados. Not quite a looker from the outside, it holds a top-floor restaurant with brilliant views over the Gran Vía. (updated Feb 2017)
• 40.41959-3.698283 Loewe Gran Vía. 

Many of the restaurants and cervecerías in the Sol area have generic poster board advertisements on the sidewalks with pictures advertising various paella dishes. These paellas are usually of bad quality and should be avoided. If you are looking for good, authentic Spanish paella, it is usually best to find a more expensive, 'sit-down' type of restaurant that offers a variety of paella dishes. There are also a number of deli-like shops along Calle Arenal that offer food para llevar (for take away).