The Park of the Pleasant Retreat - "El Parque del Buen Retiro" - named by Madrid's king is a large (1.4 km˛) and popular park in Madrid city center, not far from the Prado Museum. "El Parque del Buen Retiro", originally a playground for the Spanish monarchs and their guests, boasts numerous fountains and statues, plus a large pristine and carp-filled rowing lake, whose borders were modernized and waters drained and replenished and between 2002 and 2003.

This park was originally the site of a royal palace built in 1632 under the reign King Philip IV. Most of the palace was destroyed during the Napoleonic Wars. The few remaining buildings of the palace now house museum collections. The park contains the Palacio de Cristal, a glass pavilion designed in 1887 by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco. Velázquez Bosco also designed the park's Palacio de Velázquez. The park also contains 'El Angel Caído' or 'The fallen angel', as well as the Forest of the Departed (Bosque de los Ausentes), a memorial monument to commemorate the 191 victims of the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks.

From the main entrance in the Plaza de Independencia there are many paths that lead to the beautiful Rosaleda (rose garden), the geometrically patterned French style Jardín de Don Cecilio, the Crystal Palace with its fountain or to one of the open air cafes where the people of Madrid like to take their aperitif - in the sun or in the shade according to the season. Across Calle de Alfonso XII, at the southwest corner of Parque de Retiro, is the Real Jardín Botánico (Botanical Garden). This garden was founded in the 18th century and contains more than 104 species of trees and 3,000 types of plants. There are also two exposition centers, the Velásquez and Crystal palaces (built to honor the Philippines in 1887), and a lakeside monument, erected in 1922 in honor of King Alfonso XII.

Around this beautiful park you'll find several amazing and historic places such as:

Crystal Palace / Palacio de Cristal
Monument to Alfonso XII
Monument to Álvarez Quintero
Monument to General Martínez Campos
Monument to Ruperto Chapi
Observatory
Palacio de Velázquez
Parque del Retiro Fountains

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