Estanque Grande del Buen Retiro

The winter Queen Isabella II was overthrown, Madrid’s Great Pond froze solid – and citizens flocked to the ice to skate in celebration.

For over two centuries, this royal pleasure lake hosted elaborate mock naval battles staged exclusively for King Philip IV and his court. Built in the 1630s as part of a private royal retreat, the waters were once reserved for monarchs and nobles. That changed in 1830, when El Retiro opened to the public. Today, more than 100 rowing boats glide across the same lake, piloted by couples, families, and anyone else eager to test their nautical skills.

The grand monument overlooking the water tells another story of transformation. In 1902, a national competition was launched to design a memorial to King Alfonso XII. Funded entirely through public donations, the monument was inaugurated on June 6, 1922. Rising 30 meters above the lake, its sweeping semicircular colonnade was crafted by more than twenty sculptors and paid for by ordinary citizens honoring a king who died at just 27 years old.

What began as a playground for royalty has become one of Madrid’s most beloved public spaces – a place where centuries of Spanish history, from monarchs to democracy, continue to unfold one rowboat at a time.