Bernabéu Stadium Tour

Real Madrid CF

From: Madrid, Spain

ABOVE: Estadió Santiago Bernabéu has towers at each corner. In 2002, glass elevators (tracks on the right side of picture) were installed to provide quick access to the top level with panoramic views during the 16-story ascent.

In the world of fútbol, Real Madrid CF is Spain's counterpart to the New York Yankees. Real Madrid (Spanish for "Royal Madrid") is a perennial first-division team of the Spanish Professional Football League, with a history dating back to March, 1902, when it was founded as the "Madrid Foot Ball Club" with an English coach and uniforms modeled on those of the London Corinthians.

Over the last century, Real Madrid has won 29 Spanish League championships and nine European Cup/Champions League trophies, and it boasts of being the only club to hold a permanent European Cup trophy after winning the cup five consecutive times.

Some sportswriters have called Real Madrid "the best football team in the world," and whether or one accepts that judgment, it's hard not to be impressed by the club's statistics--and by the chance to visit its 80,000-seat Estadió Santiago Bernabéu, which is open for self-guided tours year-round. Your ticket includes a visit to the club's museum of photos, trophies, and other club memorabilia.

When to visit: Bernabéu's opening hours vary with the season--usually 10 or 10:30 a.m. to 7 or 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Sunday. On match days, the stadium tour closes five or six hours before the match, so I'd suggest visiting on a day when no play is scheduled.

Where to go: The stadium is on the Paseo de la Castellana, north of Madrid's historic center. It's easy to reach by Metro Line 10 (Santiago Bernabéu station), by public bus, or on the "Modern Madrid" route of the MadridVision sightseeing buses.

What you'll pay: Tickets were a steep €9 for adults and €7 for kids the last time I checked, but if you have the Madrid Card or Madrid Card Cultura, your ticket will be free.

For more information, visit Real Madrid's English-language Tour of Bernabéu page. And to get an idea of what you'll see during the tour, click through to my Bernabéu Stadium photo gallery.

Next page: Bernabéu Stadium photos

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