Madrid in War: Civil War, Guernica and World War II

Madrid in War: Civil War, Guernica and World War II

By Trip Tours Madrid

Free cancellation available

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Features

Free cancellation available
2h 30m
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Overview

For 863 days, Madrid was a besieged and bombed city, converted into a laboratory of modern warfare that preceded World War II. On this tour you will explore the key scenes of the Civil War in the city: bombings on civilians, the figure of Franco, the echo of Guernica and the traces of the front that are still visible in streets and buildings.

We will walk from historic Madrid, where the civilians lived under the bombs, to the old front line in Parque del Oeste and the surroundings of the old Mountain Barracks (now Debod Temple). We will see facades with shrapnel impacts, squares that were military targets and places linked to political power and propaganda.

This tour is ideal if you want to understand how Madrid experienced its 863 days of siege and why it was key to the history of Spain and Europe. You will live history, daily life under the bombs and the marks that the Civil War left forever in the city, all in one walking route.

Activity location

Plaza Mayor
- Calle Gerona 4,
- 28012, Madrid, Spain

Meeting/Redemption Point

Estatua de Felipe III
- Plaza Mayor
- 28012, Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain

Check availability

Tour in Spanish

2h 30m
Spanish

Travelers

Language options: Spanish

Starting time: 16:30

Price details

P 165.28 x 1 AdultP 165.28

Total

50% off

What's included, what's not

Local guides
Printed materials and teaching tools along the route.
Link for personalized recommendations What to do in Madrid?
Any food or drink
Entries to the sites (not required, as we do not enter)

Know before you book

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Activity itinerary

Plaza Mayor

Under its monumental and touristic appearance, Plaza Mayor hides stories of fear, resistance and survival. At this point in the tour, the guide will reveal how this emblematic space was lived during the Civil War, what happened between its portals and why it was a key place to understand Madrid at war. A story that completely transforms the way you will look at this square again.

Puerta del Sol

Under the clock that sets the pace for Spain, Puerta del Sol was the scene of crucial decisions and extreme experiences during the Civil War. At this point in the tour, the guide will reconstruct how one lived here while bombs fell on the city, which buildings were key and why this place better symbolizes the resilience of the besieged Madrid than any other.

Plaza del Callao

Where there are cinemas and bright screens today, during the Civil War the world’s gaze was focused. In Callao, in front of the old Florida Hotel, journalists and correspondents narrated the siege of Madrid as bombs fell on the city. At this point in the tour you will discover how it was reported from the urban front and why this place was key to understanding the international dimension of the conflict.

Gran Via

Under its monumental facades, Gran Via was a real front line. During the Civil War, bombs, sirens and ruined buildings were part of the daily life. At this point in the tour, the guide will reconstruct how this strategic avenue survived and why Gran Vía became one of the symbols of Madrid that resisted under the pumps.

C. de Fomento, 9

Where once there were classrooms and students, the war imposed a new reality. The Santa Teresa Institute represents how the Civil War altered the daily lives of thousands of Madridians, transforming learning spaces into places marked by urgency, fear and the need to resist.

Plaza de Oriente

In front of the Royal Palace, the Plaza de Oriente symbolized power in a besieged city. During the Civil War, this space was the scene of constant tension, where the symbolic value of the place was as important as its strategic position. An endpoint that helps to understand how the war was also fought on a political and symbolic level.

Palacio Del Senado

Very close to the institutional heart of Madrid, Guernica’s name recalls one of the most shocking episodes of the Civil War. At this point in the tour, the guide will explain why the bombing shocked the world, how it was used as a symbol of politics and denunciation, and what role it played in the historical memory of the conflict beyond the battlefield.

Calle del

In the midst of conflict and polarization, the Church of the Carmelites recalls that the Civil War was also experienced in the religious sphere. This space allows us to reflect on the social fracture, persecution, fear and transformation of places destined for wartime collection

Monumento a los Caidos del Cuartel de la Montana

Here the fate of Madrid was decided in the early days of the Civil War. The Mountain Barracks was the scene of one of the most violent and decisive episodes of the beginning of the conflict, a point where history changed irreversibly and that allows us to understand how the war really began in the capital

Templo de Debod

After touring the bombed and besieged Madrid, the Temple of Debod offers a space for final reflection. Surrounded by a landscape marked by the history of the conflict, this place symbolizes the passage of time, memory and reconstruction of a city that survived the war

Calle del Prof. Martín Almagro Basch, 1

From this viewpoint you can understand why Madrid was a besieged city. Face to face with the line of combat, the guide will reconstruct how the defense was organized, what was seen from here during the war and how the closeness of the front marked the pace of life of the entire city

Parque del Oeste

Where today there are trails and gardens, during the Civil War there were trenches and fighting. The Parque del Oeste allows us to visualize the intensity of the Battle of Madrid and reflect on how the city transformed ancient battlefields into spaces of memory and coexistence

Location

Activity location

Plaza Mayor
- Calle Gerona 4,
- 28012, Madrid, Spain

Meeting/Redemption Point

Estatua de Felipe III
- Plaza Mayor
- 28012, Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain

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