Soccer stadiums
Football Stadiums in Madrid
For soccer lovers, it is a must to take a tour of the Madrid stadiums.
Santiago Bernabeu
The Santiago Bernabeu stadium is located in the center of the Paseo de la Castellana, in Azca in the Chamartin neighborhood. Originally, it used to be called Chamartin Stadium. This stadium was inaugurated approximately 60 years ago and today it is considered an elite stadium by the Uefa to host all types of events and competitions related to soccer.
The Bernabeu is formed of 4 big circular towers situated on each corner of the stadium that are used to communicate, in the best way possible, with the zones situated in its interior. On one of its sides you can find the Real Madrid shop where you can buy, for example, your favorite player’s jersey. The Real Madrid shop is also great if you want to buy a gift for someone.
The Santiago Bernabeu is able to hold more than 80,000 people which makes this stadium one of the biggest of the world. It is not completely covered however with the arrival of Florentino Perez, a sliding cover is being wanted to close the new Santiago Bernabeu Stadium entirely.
The tour of the Bernabeu allows visits that includes: technical overview of the stadium, "Best Club of History" room, sensations room, photomontages, the field, the presidential box, the dressing rooms, player’s tunnel, bench area and, to end the visit, the newsroom with an exit through the Real Madrid shop. If you decide to do the tour, find out if there is a match that day because you won’t be able to do the full visit if not five hours before the game.
Vicente Calderón
The Vicente Calderon Stadium is one of those famous soccer fields that will stay in the mind of every soccer lover and taking the Vicente Calderon tour is really something special.
This sports arena next to the River Manzanares was chosen as the home of the Atletico de Madrid. It was inaugurated in 1966 under the name Estadio Del Manzanares, transferring the seat of the legendary Estadio de Metropolitano de Madrid team that was next to the current Madrid campus, and had been its home since the 20s. Its current name was given in honor of its president in 1971: Vicente Calderon.
In the guided Vicente Calderon tour, you can, walk its halls, offices, walk around the box, discover the VIP boxes, step into the locker rooms and onto the field through the tunnel where so many world champions have come from, and step onto the grass, which gives an unforgettable sensation. The museum takes us back to the early years of the team, with the first spherical footballs, boots that were almost handmade and the first jerseys of the team.
Besides being the football stadium of the Atletico de Madrid, the Vicente Calderon is undoubtedly a legendary concert venue in the city of Madrid. Rolling Stones, Dire Straits, Cold Play and the British boy band One Direction have all performed here.
Finally, the third stadium of the capital: the Vallecas Stadium, the current football field where Rayo Vallecano plays. It is located in the popular neighborhood of Vallecas in the southeast of Madrid (Spain). It is also the finish line of the traditional San Silvestre Vallecana race held every 31st of December in Madrid.
If you are a football lover and you plan to visit Barcelona, we recommend you visit Camp Nou
